The Perfect Space
by AbidingByRhyme
Summary: At 16 years old, Bella & Edward had fallen victim to a kidnapping. Since returning home, they find their only solace in each other. As Edward becomes overcome with the need to protect her from any further harm, she begins to need him in more ways than one
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **At 16 years old, Bella and Edward had fallen victim to a four-month-long kidnapping. Since returning home, they find their only solace in each other. As Edward becomes overcome with the need to protect Bella from any further harm, Bella begins to need him in more ways than one.

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

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**The Perfect Space**

I wanna have friends that I can trust,  
That love me for the man I've become not the man that I was.  
I wanna have friends that will let me be,  
All alone when being alone is all that I need.

I wanna fit in to the perfect space,  
Feel natural and safe in a volatile place.  
And I wanna grow old without the pain,  
Give my body back to the earth and not complain.

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**Chapter 1**

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Isabella Swan sat on a large brown leather couch, clad in faded blue jeans, torn at the heels. She wore a plain black t-shirt that revealed the pale white skin of her arms, covered in minor scratches and faded bruises. Upon her wrist sat a thin piece of rope, woven into a bracelet, with a knot as a clasp. Her smooth brown hair was tied in a messy bun at the nape of her neck. Next to her sat Edward Cullen in a pair of black jeans and a plain white t-shirt. His auburn hair was sticking up in every direction as he pushed and pulled at it. Under his left eye sat a faded purple bruise and his right wrist held the same thin piece of rope Bella's did.

Bella and Edward sat side by side, staring down at their hands. Their appointment was scheduled for 9:30 and it was 9:36. The past six minutes had felt like hours to both of them as they sat, quietly, not saying a word to the other, waiting for what was about to happen. As the door was suddenly thrown open, both their heads sprang up and to the right. The man entering the room gave them a polite smile as he walked to the chair across from where they were sitting.

"Good morning," he said in a soft, kind voice.

Neither Edward nor Bella said anything in return.

"I'm Dr Aro, and you must be Isabella and Edward," he continued.

"Bella," Edward whispered under his breath.

"I'm sorry?" Dr Aro asked.

Edward looked up at him momentarily then lowered his head back down to his hands.

"She goes by just Bella," Edward muttered again as Bella shifted uncomfortably beside him.

Dr Aro was fairly short, maybe 5 feet 10 inches, and fairly slim. His greyed hair was slicked down the middle and fell just above his shoulders. His office was pale beige with brown furnishings. The walls were bare and the only item sitting atop the coffee table between his chair and Edward and Bella's couch was a Kleenex box.

"So let's get started, shall we? How old are the two of you?" he asked.

His voice was soft and monotonous and when he was once again met with silence, he cleared his throat and tried again.

"Alright. I'm going to be frank with the two of you if that's alright."

Bella's head slowly lifted to look at him. When he didn't say anything further, she turned to look at Edward who gave her a small smile. They both turned toward Dr Aro.

"I know about your situation. Your parents informed me and well, I watch the news. You don't need to explain any specifics but you must know that I'm here because your parents called me. They feel you both need to move past these events. If you need someone to talk to, other than yourselves, this is what these sessions are for."

Silence.

"The simplest of questions I can ask is how old the two of you are," Dr Aro said after a moment.

"I turned seventeen in...June...and Bella turns it in a couple weeks," Edward said.

Dr Aro nodded but didn't say a word. He knew that he needed to phrase his next two questions carefully and he momentarily worried whether he should ask them or not. He looked from Edward to Isabella and knew that the effects of their situation had not even almost died down, but he asked anyways.

"So your birthday, Edward, it fell right in the midst of this event?"

Edward nodded and subconsciously rubbed at the thin piece of rope tied around his wrist. Bella noticed and smiled, caressing her own as well.

"How long has it been since...you've been back at home?" Dr Aro asked.

"You mean, since we escaped?" Edward said, looking him straight in the eyes.

Bella flinched at the word escape and Dr Aro noticed.

"Escape has a negative connotation, Edward. You may want to avoid using it," he said with a small smile.

Edward sighed and turned to look away from him.

"21 days," Bella whispered.

Edward turned his head to look at her and saw her staring down at her hands, fidgeting with the hem of her t-shirt, looking completely and utterly uncomfortable.

"21 days?" Dr Aro asked.

Bella nodded while blinking.

"Since we escaped," Edward added.

He slid over then so he was sitting directly next to her, his thigh against hers, and gently placed his hand in hers. With his free hand, he lifted her chin so they were both staring into each other's eyes.

Bella immediately felt herself relax under his stare.

Dr Aro noticed the level of intensity between the two patients sitting before him and found it rather interesting. He gave them a moment to themselves before trying again.

"I know the two of you have been through a lot," he started softly. "I won't pretend to understand the difficulty of your triumph because I have never had to face anything like it. But I want the two of you to know that I am not here as a reporter. I don't care to know the gory details. Also, I am not here as a parent. I don't wish to shelter you from any evils. I am simply a third party. Anything and everything you say within this room stays with me. I will write nothing down, I can promise you that."

Bella and Edward both knew they could trust the man sitting in front of them, but they didn't want to. Neither of them wanted anyone other than each other to confide in.

"Bella...do you mind telling me how you ended up in Forks?" Dr Aro asked.

Bella felt her entire body shutter. She closed her eyes, willing herself to remember what she promised she would force herself to forget.

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**:::**

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_As the blaring Phoenix sun shone through Bella's window on Tuesday, May 5th, her eyes slowly drifted open. After a fabulous night's sleep, they zeroed in on the alarm clock to her left._

_9:05_

_Upon seeing the time, she jolted out of bed, realizing she was late for school. She checked her alarm, since she distinctly remembered setting it for 8:00, and realized it had been turned off. She assumed she just hadn't ever turned it on as she hurried to get ready in order to make the 10:00 train._

_Bella stammered out of bed and rushed to the bathroom. She took a very quick five minute shower, simultaneously brushing her teeth and washing her body. She threw on her comfortable jeans with a black tank top, grabbing a light sweater for her way home, when the weather cooled._

_When she was ready, she ran down the stairs, crashing into her mother, Renee, at the landing._

"_What? You weren't going to even say bye before leaving?" she asked._

"_Mom, I'm super late! Why didn't you wake me up?" Bella asked aggravated._

"_Baby, I don't pay attention to your schedule. You know that. I figured you had the day off or something," Renee said, shrugging her shoulders._

_Bella sighed and told her mother that she really needed to get going, while shoving on her shoes and grabbing the door handle._

"_Aren't you forgetting something?" her mother asked, holding Bella's schoolbag in her hands._

_Bella quickly grabbed her bag from her mother. She ran to the kitchen, shoved in an apple, a water bottle, and her school books. She gave her mother a quick kiss on the check, and she ran out the door._

_Bella jumped onto her newly acquired bicycle and peddled to her limit as she sped to the train station to make it there in time. Getting there mere minutes before ten o'clock, she searched for an empty spot in the almost full bike rack. She finally found a spot, quickly pulling out her long lock in order to tie her bike securely. __Once it was secured, she fastened the lock and quickly ran up to the platform. _

_Bella__ waited impatiently, only to have the train arrive twenty minutes late._

_Once she got on the train, she took out her iPod, slipped in her earphones, and started her morning playlist. She settled into her seat, lifted her feet onto the seat in front of her, and leaned her head against the window._

_The train ride was just as dull as it had always been. It was long, bumpy, and because she was in a rush, the stops felt longer than usual. Bella watched as passenger after passenger entered and exited the train, wondering what she would have to say to the secretary in order to explain her tardiness._

_When she got off the train, she decided to cut through one of the main buildings downtown in order to get to her class faster. She rounded the corner and saw that the whole sidewalk in front of the door she needed to access was blocked off._

_She decided the next fastest way was through the subway, underground. She located the nearest one and descended the stairs. As soon as she got down into the tunnel area, she felt a cold breeze brush past her, and she shivered. She saw a man in the far left corner and decided to walk faster. As soon as she passed by him, he got up and started walking behind her._

_Bella started getting nervous but she knew the exit was fairly close by. She found it strange that there wasn't a single person in the alleyway underground, but decided to brush it off. She heard the footsteps of the man behind her growing louder and louder as she began to panic._

_She started walking even faster and so did the man behind her. She could see the doors ahead and really wanted to start running for them. She quickly took out her cell phone and realized she had no signal even if she wanted to call someone for help._

_As she picked up speed, she realized she could no longer hear the man's footsteps behind her. _

_She decided to run. _

_She put all her strength into it and she ran for the exit. She ran as fast as she could when she felt something drape over her face._

_And then…Darkness._

_

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**I plan on updating once a week, probably Tuesdays.  
**

**The Perfect Space is a song off The Avett Brothers latest album I and Love and You.**

**The Chapters won't be super long but they'll progressively get longer and longer. They won't all be this short.**

**Reviews get a teaser for the next chapter :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

Thanks goes out to my new beta **SabLuvsLogan**

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**Chapter 2**

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Bella sat in the front passenger seat of Edward's Volvo as he drove her home after their first session with Dr Aro. Their hour long meeting hadn't gone quite as planned since neither felt comfortable enough to share all that much information with the man they had just met. Even though he had promised them confidentiality, they still felt pushed and pulled and pressured into a meeting they wanted no part of.

As they drove home, Bella and Edward were still nervous and as a result, neither spoke throughout the entire car ride. Edward stared straight ahead, focusing on the road, as Bella rotated between staring out the passenger window, and staring down at her hands.

Edward felt the silence closing in on him so he decided to speak up.

"So what did you think of Dr Aro?" Edward asked, mocking the doctor's name.

"He seemed nice," Bella said, turning to look at him.

Edward paused for a moment. "We don't need him," he whispered.

"I know we don't. But...it's not really our choice," Bella said.

Edward sighed as he pulled into her driveway. They sat in silence a little while longer until Bella decided to speak up.

"Should we be able to talk about it?" she whispered.

"What do you mean?" Edward asked.

"Well...should it be this hard? I mean...I felt...suffocated in there. He didn't ask us anything and I just wanted to run. I don't want him to know anything and I don't want to _have_ to talk to him."

"I know, Bella. We don't have to. Carlisle is paying right? I told him not to waste his money but it's his loss. Eventually Dr Aro will realize that it's a waste of his time and we'll stop scheduling appointments."

"You think it'll be that easy?"

Edward paused. "No...But...Bella, we went through this together...so...we'll get over it together. Okay?"

Bella smiled shyly and nodded.

"I'll be over later, alright?" Edward said, giving her a smile.

Bella nodded again and exited the car after saying goodbye. She walked up the steps to her front door, pushed her key into the lock, and slowly opened the door. Edward made sure Bella was safely inside before driving off towards his home.

Bella knew her father, Charlie, wouldn't be home and she would therefore be walking into an empty house, which made the task all the more difficult. Charlie was Forks' Chief of Police and was therefore forced to work long, tiring hours. This resulted in him being away from the house for large periods of time, something he was no longer comfortable with now that Bella was staying with him. Bella would consistently remind him that she didn't mind, and that she enjoyed the alone time, which was not a complete lie. She enjoyed the freedom of doing what she wanted with no one watching her or breathing down her neck. The only time being home alone really bothered her was when she needed to walk into an empty home, as she now had to do more and more often.

The second she stepped into the house, she slammed the door shut and locked it. She quickly walked up the stairs to her room, closed the door, and locked it as well.

Bella's bedroom consisted of a queen sized bed topped with a purple comforter, a mahogany desk where she would now have the opportunity to do school work on, a small bedside table and a shelf, housing all her movies. Her walls were painted white and on the floor between her bed and her desk was a small, round, purple carpet.

After Edward dropped her off, Bella spent the rest of the day coddled up, alternating between reading and watching movies. The only time she left the comfort and safety of her bedroom was when she headed down to the kitchen to fix herself a quick sandwich for supper.

Later that night, Bella brushed her teeth, and sat herself down in the black rolling chair by her desk. Not even a minute later, she heard a tap on her bedroom window and smiled instinctively.

Every night Edward left the comfort of his own home and headed to Bella's. Edward had somehow convinced himself that his parents had no idea he was sneaking out of his bedroom window every night to walk the two blocks over to Chief Swan's place in order to keep his beloved daughter safe.

Edward had convinced himself that his parents thought he spent every night safe and secure within the confines of his bedroom.

Edward knew the risk – better than anyone – behind leaving his house late at night.

Edward also knew the consequences he would have to face if his parents ever found out.

But Edward didn't care.

It didn't matter to him because keeping Bella comfortable was now the only thing he cared about.

So, every night, Edward climbed the tall tree situated right outside Bella's bedroom window, and at 9:30 sharp he tapped and waited for her to answer and invite him in. They would talk and watch movies until they eventually fell asleep on the hard wood floor of Bella's bedroom. They did so because ever since the events that had taken place three weeks prior, Edward and Bella had yet to use the large, warm, comfortable bed that sat in the left-hand corner of her bedroom.

After Bella opened up her window to let Edward in, he climbed through and immediately grabbed two pillows and two blankets as he watched Bella set up their makeshift beds. As they both lay down on their backs - side by side yet never touching - he decided to speak up.

"Are you nervous for tomorrow?" Edward asked quietly.

"Yes," Bella said, not looking at him.

"You shouldn't be."

Edward turned onto to his side to get a better view of Bella's expression as she took in a deep breath and turned to face him.

"I just don't know what it'll be like, you know? Phoenix was so different from here. Everything is so...I don't know...everyone knows each other here. I feel like school is going to be really weird. When we had a new student back in Phoenix, nobody cared. I feel like here it's the event of the century."

Edward chuckled. "You don't have to worry. It'll be just like it always was. The only difference is that there are a hell of a lot less students and the school is like a quarter of the size."

"Yeah but everybody knows. They're going to act all weird, you know? And we're only in one class together...I...I don't even know how to function without you anymore..."Bella whispered, feeling shy and ashamed at having to admit the latter part of her answer.

Edward reached out, gently brushing his fingers across her cheek, his heart sinking at her words.

"I know, Bella, but I'm going to be there. I know it's our first day back at school and that it's worse for you because it's your first day at a new school but I'm going to be with you between every class. I'll walk you to each one, we'll spend lunch together, and I'll drive you home at the end of the day. It's going to be okay. I promise."

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**:::**

_

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Bella awoke to a putrid smell of vomit. As her eyes drifted open, they tried to focus in on anything, only to be forced shut by the lighting. Confusion sprung to her immediately as she groaned in pain._

_Everything hurt._

_She was sore and felt extremely weak. As her eyes adjusted, she noticed she was in what looked like a cellar. The only thing illuminating the room was an old chandelier overhead, and she could see the dust all around her as she breathed it in and coughed it back out._

_The floor she was sitting on was unfinished and cold. There were shelves and boxes everywhere filled with books and papers and junk. Her feet were tied together and so were her hands. She tried to figure out where she was when the inexplicable reality of the situation she was facing came crashing down on her. She tried to convince herself she was just being crazy but the thoughts kept resurfacing._

_She was having sudden flashes of the previous morning, making it seem like this wasn't at all a coincidence. She thought back to her alarm being turned off when she distinctly remembered setting it. She remembered the train not coming on time when not once in four years had it ever been late. Finally, she remembered the doors being closed off – everything that led her into the alleyway underground. _

_If one thing had been different, she would have been outside on the streets surrounded by people. _

_She felt like she'd been herded. _

_She felt as though every step of her morning was carefully planned out so she could be led into that dark corridor._

_Her heart was in her throat as she struggled to breathe._

_She'd been kidnapped._

_Not only had she been kidnapped but she was fairly certain it was a planned kidnapping. She tried to think of why or what brought her to this situation when her overwhelmed state took over. She started crying and yelling and shaking, trying to get herself out of her ties but she couldn't. _

_She was pinned down._

_She heard the sound of boots thundering down on stairs as she stopped her yells and tried to remain as quiet as possible. When she realized her efforts were futile since she had probably been placed by whoever occupied the boots, she began to quiver in fear. A door swung open and the light that filled the room blinded her with its brightness. She turned her head and groaned while closing her eyes tightly and trying to dig her head into her own shoulder._

_She kept her face hidden as the sound of the boots came closer and closer, until they stopped right in front of her. She felt a hard tug on her hair as her face was forced from her shoulder. The man in front of her was large and burly. His hands were cold and hard as he forced her head upward. He was wearing a black mask over his face, but she saw long blonde hair sticking out from underneath. He had dark grey eyes that were cold and furious. He was holding her head up by her hair with one hand, as his other came down to grab her wrist._

"_You yell one more fucking time and I will break each and every one of your fingers."_

_His voice was low yet harsh and his speech sent a shiver from the top of her head to the tip of her toes. She averted her eyes as he turned and walked out the door._

"_Clean her up," he yelled out before slamming the door shut._

_Bella looked around the room to see if anyone else was there as she let out a sob of terror. She heard movement in front of her but she couldn't see a thing. She was breathing loudly and heavily as the fear took over that she wasn't the only one in the room. She heard soft footsteps approaching until she could vaguely see the shape of a boy. She started crying as she closed her eyes, hoping this was all just a really bad dream._

_He stopped in front of her, and softly wiped away a tear from her cheek._

"_He's not worth your tears," the boy said softly. "Trust me."_

_She opened her eyes then to see a young boy about her age covered in dirt from head to toe with cuts and bruises all over his face. He looked at her then as she saw the most piercing green eyes she'd ever seen. His eyes were still innocent and bright but the sight of how they were aged and tortured forced another tear from her eye._

_He had paper towels with him and he started to dab at the cuts on her arms that she hadn't even noticed were there. His hands were rough and dirty and she wanted to ask him why he was here but she couldn't even say a word. She was confused and tired and scared and the boy in front of her made her all the more so. _

_She had smelled vomit but she hadn't realized it was her own. He bent down in front of her and started cleaning it up. She was wondering why he was doing so when he could have had her do it. She hated seeing him cleaning up her mess and on any other day her pride would have prevented her from sitting back and watching. But at that moment she was tied in a cold dark cellar, cut, bruised and confused, and no longer had the strength to either speak up or move._

_Bella wanted her warm bed and a hot shower and the comfort of her own home._

_She let out another sob._

"_Shh," the boy said, as he ran his hand over her cheek again. "It's going to be okay. I promise."_

_She looked up at him and was once again met with his piercing green eyes._

_They were beautiful._

_In a room full of dirt and junk and ropes, his eyes before her didn't belong. They shined and glistened and within them was hope._

"_I'm Edward," he said._

_He got up then and walked back into the darkness, to his side of the room._

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**Thank you to everyone who reviewed and added this story to their favourites and story alerts.**

**Reviews get teasers.**

**Next Up: ****Bella and Edward's first day back at High School**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

Big thanks goes out to my beta **SabLuvsLogan.**

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Chapter 3

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Bella awoke the following morning feeling nervous and scared. She remained on her hardwood floor, feeling the warmth from Edward's back on her own, wishing she could lie there all day. The thought made her cringe and she immediately decided to try and get excited for her first day at a brand new high school.

When she brought her hand up to her mouth, letting out a large yawn while stretching, she felt Edward starting to stir behind her. They both turned toward each other, giving themselves sheepish, tired smiles.

"Morning," Edward said, with his eyes still closed.

"Morning," Bella muttered back.

They both stretched and yawned before sitting upright.

"How did you sleep?" Edward asked.

Bella gave a small smile. "Good," she answered. "You?"

"Good," Edward said while nodding. "Alright, I should get going. I'll be back in a bit to drive you."

"It's okay Edward...I don't mind driving in."

Edward gave Bella a look that told her her efforts were futile – he was going to drive whether she wanted to or not.

"Seriously? You want to drive to school on your very first day in that red abomination of a truck outside? Now you're really asking for attention," Edward said, smiling.

"That red truck is not an abomination. It's beautiful," she said, giving Edward her best withering stare.

Edward chuckled and shook his head. "I promise you are the only one who thinks so," he told her while standing up and helping her clean up.

Together, they folded the blankets they had used and placed them neatly at the foot of her bed. Edward then picked up both pillows and placed them back where they belonged. When everything was tidy, he took Bella into a small hug and climbed out the window, promising to be back soon.

"By the way," Edward said while standing on a large branch, "Forks High is really chill so don't go dressing up or anything. I don't know what kids wore back in Phoenix but sweat pants are a regular piece of clothing over here."

"I _was_ planning on wearing a dress," Bella said deadpan, but quickly broke out into a smirk.

He grinned at her then and continued to climb down the tree with delicate ease.

As soon as Edward was gone, Bella let out a large sigh, nervously awaiting her very first day at Forks High School. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Bella dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and a grey long sleeved t-shirt. She threw her hair into a messy bun and descended the stairs. As she looked out the front window, she noticed Charlie's police cruiser was already gone.

Bella never questioned when Charlie would get home in the evenings and whether or not he would check up on her. To her it didn't seem necessary to wonder whether or not her father walked into her bedroom every night and noticed her asleep on the floor of her room with Edward Cullen.

It may not have made a difference to Bella if he did or not, but he did.

Charlie checked up on his daughter every night after getting home from work. He would crack her bedroom door open and he would watch her, fast asleep, not alone on her queen sized bed – which he'd spent hours shopping for in order to find the proper quilt – but on the floor with Edward Cullen.

The first night it happened, he had been more than shocked as anger soared through him. He had been ready to yell, scream and drag that Cullen boy out of his little girl's room, but upon taking in the sight before him once again; he recognized their innocent positions, and his anger abated. He quickly realized then that there was nothing more than sleep happening between his daughter and Edward Cullen.

The sight had still managed to scare the poor Chief of Police and that is when he decided to approach the Cullen's. He told Carlisle and Esme exactly what he witnessed every night and together, they came to the collective decision of forcing their children into speaking with Dr Aro.

Bella knew Charlie must have left the house early because he was always around in the mornings. Every morning she would walk downstairs and Charlie would be in the kitchen reading the paper and drinking his coffee.

Bella shrugged her shoulders, adjusted the curtains back properly and went into the kitchen to grab a quick bite to eat. As she was grabbing a bowl from the cupboard, she noticed the note left on the counter and she smiled inwardly.

_**Hey kiddo, sorry I'm not home this morning to wish you luck on your first day.  
**__**I had to leave earlier than usual **__**but we'll have breakfast together tomorrow, I promise.**_

Bella chuckled at Charlie's chicken scratch and re-read the note while pouring herself a bowl of cereal. After washing the single dish, she went outside on her front porch to wait for Edward to show up.

As soon as the silver Volvo pulled into her driveway she felt herself relax. She descended the stairs and hopped into the passenger seat and they both drove to school.

"How was your cereal?" Edward asked, smiling.

Bella laughed. "It was good. How were your bacon and eggs and pancakes and French toast?" she said, mocking him.

"They were fantastic!" Edward said, laughing and rubbing his stomach.

Bella laughed again and shook her head. "Your mom is ridiculous," she said, looking at him.

"Hey! It's not my fault she likes to cook!"

"Isn't Felix going to be angry with you? Shouldn't you be eating like protein shakes or something for breakfast?"

Edward had done a total of three things the day he got home from his notorious kidnapping. He took a really long shower, he ensured Bella's safety, and he joined a gym. He pulled into Forks' Fitness Center and bought a yearly membership as well as the aid of a personal trainer – Felix.

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "Meh. Eggs are protein," he said, smiling.

"Yeah, I'm sure maple syrup is too," Bella said, chuckling.

They continued with light conversation until Edward pulled up into a spot in the parking lot. Before getting out of the car, they both took in a deep breath and looked at each other, giving themselves an encouraging nod.

Edward stepped out of the car first and as he looked around he felt a hit of nostalgia come over him. Forks High School looked exactly the same as it did the last time he had seen it. As he looked around, he noticed all the students smiling and laughing, showing off their new hair styles and the new clothing they had acquired over the summer months. The school yard and parking lot was filled with a sense of renewal and gathering but Edward knew he didn't belong. He saw his old classmates gathered in a corner, hugging and laughing, catching up after the summer months. He felt the need to approach them but didn't want to. He looked over at Bella and suddenly had the urge to grab her, throw her back in the car and go back to her bedroom, where they were safe.

She had a look of utter fear plastered on her face as she took in the sight of all the new people before her. As Edward rounded the car, placing himself next to her, he felt her tensed state beside him and knew she was feeling exactly like he was. He took in a deep breath and stepped in front of her. He placed his hands lightly on both her shoulders and bent his head to look into her eyes.

"Hey," he started, smiling. "I really don't want you to be nervous, okay? Everything is going to be fine. Four of my best friends are sitting at the picnic table over there and I'm going to introduce you to them now. I haven't seen them in a...well...a long time so they may be a little shocked at first but I promise you they're really great. You'll love them."

Bella nodded nervously.

"If ever, and I mean EVER you need to leave, you give me the word and we are out of here. Even if you're right in the middle of a class, okay? You have my schedule for a reason. I don't care where I am, you come get me. Do you hear me?"

Bella nodded once again.

"Good," he said.

Edward lightly placed his hand on Bella's lower back and led her toward one of the picnic tables in the front school yard. Sitting at the table already were two boys and two girls.

As soon as they spotted Edward, all four of them jumped up and out of their seats. They each took turns telling Edward how much they missed him, and how happy they were that he was back. He felt himself wince at the memory of why it had been so long since the last time he'd seen his friends, but he put those thoughts behind him.

Edward noticed Bella standing awkwardly to the side, so he decided to introduce her to his friends as they started sitting back down.

"Guys, I'd like you all to meet Bella Swan. It's her first day so be nice. Bella, this is Emmett," Edward said, pointing to a large boy sitting on the right side of the table. He looked extremely tall, with bulging muscles and fitted clothing. He had short, almost cropped, dark hair and when he smiled at Bella, all his features softened. He gave Bella a small wave and a wink.

Edward then introduced the girl sitting beside Emmett as Rosalie. She was almost as tall as Emmett, but she was extremely beautiful, with perfect, creamy skin, and long blonde hair. Bella felt herself inch closer to Edward at her sudden insecurity.

"No one at Forks High dresses up, eh?" she whispered so only he could hear.

Edward smiled then introduced another boy and girl sitting on the left side of the picnic table. The other boy, Jasper, was the complete opposite of Emmett. He was shorter, skinnier, and had curly, blonde hair that fell just above his ear. Beside him was Alice. She was small and extremely petite with dark brown hair that fell to her shoulders and spiked on the ends.

"It's nice to meet you, Bella," Alice said, sliding slightly to the right, closer to Jasper, leaving room for Bella to sit down beside her. Bella smiled shyly and slowly sat down next to Alice.

The second Bella disconnected herself from Edward, she felt his loss. She could no longer feel the warmth of his skin and she immediately felt her nerves rising. Her breathing started to pick up and she was staring down at her hands until she felt the unmistakable feel of Edward's knee against her own. She looked up and saw Edward sitting opposite her, on the other side of the picnic table, and felt herself relax. He wasn't looking at her but she didn't need his eyes, she merely needed his presence. The thought worried her as she knew that within the next few minutes she would be separating from him.

Edward could feel Bella's anxiety rising so he slipped his hand under the narrow table and began to rub soothing circles on her knee. He saw her relax and immediately worried about what was going to happen when she would be alone, surrounded by students she didn't know.

"What are your schedules like this semester?" Emmett asked.

"Mine fucking sucks," answered Rosalie with a huff.

"I already know yours," Emmett said, rolling his eyes. "I was talking to Edward and Bella."

Bella felt herself smile at the cute way Emmett and Rosalie bickered and momentarily wondered if they were a couple.

"Mine's not bad," Edward said with a shrug. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett reached into their back pockets to pull out their schedules while Rosalie and Alice reached into their purses to pull out theirs. They all started comparing schedules while Bella removed hers from her backpack.

"How am I not in any of your classes, Edward?" Emmett asked. "This sucks!"

Alice looked over toward Bella's schedule. "Oh! We both have English first period...and you're in gym with me and Rose," Alice said while smiling.

Bella smiled in return. "I'm glad. It'll be nice knowing someone," she said, quietly.

The first warning bell rang then, notifying the students that they had five minutes to get to their first class. The six of them got up and Edward immediately placed himself beside Bella as they all started walking into the building. The second they walked through the door, Alice hooked her arm in Bella's.

"Okay, Edward. Say goodbye! She's mine now!" Alice said, grinning.

Bella froze, stopping in her tracks and staring up at Edward.

"Alice, just give us a second okay?" Edward asked, politely. Alice nodded in acceptance.

Edward lightly placed his hand on Bella's lower back, leading her to a quiet corner.

"Hey, remember everything I said okay? You'll be with Alice and trust me when I say she's really great. If there's anything you need you can come get me. I don't give a shit what anyone says. Okay?"

Bella nodded and Edward enveloped her in a tight hug as she sighed in comfort.

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Bella had no sense of time. She wasn't able to differ between early morning and the middle of the night as she would drift in and out of sleep throughout the course of the day. _

_The man with the boots would appear very little. He would yell and cuss but he would never speak directly to her. He often gave Edward - the boy in the room with her - orders. He would tell him to clean up or to dust. Sometimes he would take Edward away for long periods of time, and Bella would cry._

_That's all she really seemed to be doing. Crying._

_She would cry until she eventually fell asleep, and when she would wake up, she would cry more. She wanted to at least know why she was there. What led her there? Why her? Why Edward?_

_Bella's back was sore from constantly sitting and her wrists throbbed from the ties. The water she was given to drink was dirty and warm and the food was unappetizing. Every once in a while the man in the boots would say he was leaving for about an hour, and he would tell them to behave. When he would leave, Edward would come to Bella's side of the room and sit by her. Often they would sit quietly, eating or sleeping. They never said much to each other because there was simply nothing to say._

_Bella wondered why Edward wasn't tied down. Was it a matter of trust? Or was Edward there that much longer than she was that he earned the right to not be constrained. She wanted to ask him how long he'd been there and what he did to get there. She wanted to know if they were both attacked in the same way or differently. But every time she would gather the courage to ask him a question, she would look into his green eyes and see all the hurt and pain within and she would shy away._

_She hated seeing the blankness of his stare. She hated the thought that it looked like he'd accepted the fate of being stuck within the cellar. _

_She also hated the fact that she had yet to say one word to him. She hadn't even told him her name yet._

_Edward always knew when the man would arrive home. Somehow, even if they were both asleep, Edward would wake up and head over to his side of the room. Minutes later, the man would always storm in through the door. Bella always wondered how Edward knew because from where they were, they could never hear any of the sounds coming from other parts of the house so it didn't make sense to her that Edward would just know. But every time, without fail, she would watch as Edward walked away from her and she would find herself missing his presence. She missed the feel of him next to her, the sound of his breathing, the warmth from his skin, and the hope within his eyes._

_There was a part of her that was craving communication – a part that yearned for a single touch or even a meaningless conversation. But she was afraid. She didn't know what would happen if she were to speak aloud. She was in such a state of shock that words felt useless and unnecessary._

_One day, when the man left the house, Edward came to sit by her side once again. He brought with him a piece of bread and a glass of water. Even though the bread was stale and the water was warm, Bella ate it anyways. She ate it because she couldn't even think back to the last time she was offered something nicely and voluntarily._

_She gently took the piece of bread from him and bit into it._

"_Thank you," she whispered. Her voice was coarse and low. It sounded off and unused._

_She looked at him and he gave her a tiny nod._

_Bella coughed to try and clear her throat, and decided to introduce herself._

"_I'm Bella," she said, quietly._

"_I know."_

_His answer both confused and frightened her._

"_How... how do you know?" she asked in a whisper._

_He was quiet for a second, until he turned his eyes downward, to look at his hands._

"_He told me all about you," he started, quietly. "I knew he was coming for you...He told me to be happy that I wouldn't be alone."_

_Bella didn't understand so she sat, staring at him._

"_There was nothing I could do," Edward continued. "He told me before he left that he was going to get you. He told me I would have a friend soon...a companion. I was stuck here...I...I wanted to help...but..." He looked up at her then. "I'm so sorry."_

_Bella could read every emotion he was emitting from his eyes._

"_Please...You shouldn't apologize for him," she said, meeting his eyes with her own._

"_I'm not apologizing on his behalf. I'm apologizing on mine."_

"_I would never place any blame on you," she said, quietly._

_Bella couldn't believe he was apologizing. She didn't understand why. They were both thrown into this situation against their will. He was just as much a victim as she was. The thought suddenly hit her how different he seemed. It was as if he had forgotten that he was in this predicament._

"_How long have you been here?" she asked._

_There was a long pause before Edward decided to answer. _

_In a low voice he muttered, "I don't know."_

"_Roughly?" _

"_I don't know."_

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_**Reviews get teasers.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

Big thanks goes out to my beta **SabLuvsLogan.**

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**_PREVIOUSLY_**

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_Edward lightly placed his hand on Bella's lower back, leading her to a quiet corner._

_"Hey, remember everything I said okay? You'll be with Alice and trust me when I say she's really great. If there's anything you need you can come get me. I don't give a shit what anyone says. Okay?"_

_Bella nodded and Edward enveloped her in a tight hug as she sighed in comfort._

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**Chapter 4**

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Bella felt Edward's loss the second he stepped away from her. Her entire body tensed as she watched him walk away but she was suddenly overcome by a strange emotion when she felt a small arm link through her own.

"Ready?" Alice asked.

Bella nodded but kept her eyes on the hall, watching Edward round the corner and wishing she was walking in the same direction as him.

"I know, I know, you hate to see him leave, but you'll see him at lunch. It's only a couple hours, right?"

Alice was extremely energetic and though her words were meant as reassurance, they seemed to frighten Bella all the more so.

"Alright, let's go. English is right down this corridor. Hopefully you'll learn the grounds pretty quickly and I'm sure Edward will show you where your locker is later," Alice said.

"Yeah, he told me he was going to show me at lunch," Bella said.

"Awesome. So, I hear you're from Phoenix? What's it like there? I've always wanted to live someplace warm."

Bella found comfort in the fact that Alice was speaking to her as if they had known each other for years. She had feared that students would watch her, giving her sad eyes and reassuring smiles, pitying her and judging her so quickly. Having Alice engage in everyday conversation relaxed her greatly as she realized her fears were unfounded.

When the two of them walked into the classroom, most of the students were already seated in their seats and Mr Mason was standing by his desk. The room was a little older than Bella's old classrooms in Phoenix but it felt right. She watched the students lounge around, everyone talking to everyone and realized just how different it was. Back in Phoenix, the school was so large that the entire senior class wouldn't have all know each other. She quickly realized that everyone in this grade knew everyone else who was graduating. The thought made her happy because they all looked like a little family.

However, the second they crossed the threshold, all eyes were on Bella and she had never wanted Edward by her side more. Bella's eyes darted to the floor as she slumped her shoulders, wrapping her arms around her stomach.

"Yes, yes, yes, this is Bella Swan, she's a new student. Get over it," Alice said with a hint of annoyance.

Bella smiled sheepishly as Alice led her down the middle aisle to two empty desks. Bella spent the whole class paying close attention to what Mr Mason was saying – she always found it easiest when she was able to lose herself in the moment. English had been one of her favourite subjects and she found herself extremely intrigued in learning about what novels they would be reading throughout the year. As the typical senior English class novels came up – Romeo & Juliet and Lord of the Flies – she sighed but kept her hopes up anyways.

When Mr Mason finally dismissed them at the end of the hour, Bella quickly started gathering her books. As she straightened from zipping her bag, she noticed a figure standing before her. She quickly jumped back, holding her throat and breathing heavily.

"OH! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," said a boy with blonde hair.

Bella just stood, staring at him, catching her breath.

"I'm Mike," he said, holding out his hand. Bella lifted her hand hesitantly and shook his weakly.

"Mike, stop hitting on Bella. She's Edward's," Alice said, coming around her desk to stand in front of Bella and next to Mike. Bella felt her cheeks redden as she smiled at the thought of Edward then scrunched her eyebrows, not really understanding what Alice meant.

"She's Edwards?" Mike asked.

"Yes, so back off. I see how you're looking at her," Alice said with a smile.

Mike nudged Alice playfully. "It was nice to meet you, Bella. I'll see you around," he said with a wink.

The whole encounter happened so quickly that Bella wasn't really too sure what had just happened. She shrugged her shoulders and quickly grabbed her bag, following Alice out the classroom door. As soon as Bella stepped outside the class, Edward was rounding the corner. The second she saw him she smiled and relaxed. He started walking faster until he was right in front of her, returning her smile.

"Hi. How was English?" he asked, sliding a piece of hair behind her ear.

"It was good. Pretty interesting. We're reading Romeo and Juliet and Lord of the Flies this year."

Edward scrunched up his face. "Ugh," he said. She smiled at him and they both turned to walk toward Bella's next class.

That day, Edward guided Bella to and from all of her classes with his hand gently placed at the small of her back.

After English he walked her to Trig, and after Trig he walked her to Government. After Government he walked her to Spanish and when that class finished, he met up with her and walked her to the cafeteria for lunch.

As they both stood in line waiting for food, Bella merely grabbed an apple and a bottle of lemonade. Edward watched her, wondering what she was doing. As he watched her pay for her nonexistent lunch, he grabbed an extra slice of pizza, placing it on his tray. As they both exited the line, Edward led her toward his usual table where Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Rosalie were already seated. When they sat down next to one another, Edward placed his second slice of pizza on her tray, giving her a disapproving look.

"I'm not hungry," she muttered so only he could hear.

He smiled, leaned in and told her he didn't care. Bella rolled her eyes and slowly started nibbling on the pizza.

"How were your classes?" Jasper asked.

"Brutal. Starting the day off with Trig at eight thirty in the morning fucking sucks," Edward said.

Bella looked over at Edward momentarily, loving how comfortable he was with his friends. She realized then that although she had merely known him for four months, she had never heard him mutter the work 'fuck'. As she heard him throw it loosely around all of a sudden, she found herself enjoying it. She didn't know why she liked hearing him say it so casually, but she did.

"Yeah, well English first thing is no better," said Alice.

"I didn't mind it," said Bella, shyly.

Alice and Rosalie gave her a quizzical look and Edward smiled.

"Bella likes to read," he said, smiling at her and lightly stroking her cheek. She blushed in response.

The four friends watched as Bella and Edward shared a quiet moment finding it strange yet sweet.

Not even a second later, their moment was interrupted by two girls approaching their table.

"Hi Edward," they both cooed. One was busty with curly long brown hair and the other was skinny with short blonde hair.

"Jessica," he said, nodding toward the brunette. "Lauren," he said to the blonde.

He turned his head back toward Bella, hoping they would take a hint and go away but they didn't.

Jessica settled herself in the seat next to Edward, lightly placing her hand on his forearm.

"Eddie, I was wondering if you wanted to go watch a movie with me tonight and then hang out at my place after. My parents won't be home tonight," Jessica said.

Edward sighed and gave Bella an apologetic look. "Sorry Jessica, I can't tonight. I'm busy."

Jessica's entire face fell but she didn't remove her hand from his arm. She simply sidled closer to him then leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"We could have a lot of fun," she said.

Bella had a feeling she wasn't supposed to hear what Jessica was whispering to Edward but she heard it anyways. An odd feeling overcame her with the notion of Edward spending the night with Jessica instead of with her. When Edward once again politely declined her invite, Bella calmed down but couldn't help the feeling that he was turning down Jessica's invitation for her sake.

When Jessica let out a huff and got up to leave the table, Lauren followed suit.

"Edward, you should go out with her tonight," Bella said.

"Bella, I could think of a million other things I would rather do," Edward said, looking at her.

"Wow, so they're still after you, eh Edward?" Jasper said, chuckling.

"I don't think they'll ever take a hint," Edward said, sighing.

"Well that's what you get for making out with Jessica Stan - " Emmett started but was interrupted by Rosalie elbowing him in the stomach.

"Ouch, Rose! What the fuck!" Emmett said, gripping his side. Rosalie simply stared at him then looked toward Bella. When recognition dawned on him, he apologized.

"Oops! Sorry Bella. You probably don't want to hear about that."

Emmett chuckled nervously as Rosalie rolled her eyes and Jasper sighed. Bella had no idea why Emmett was apologizing or why she wouldn't want to hear about whatever he was going to say but she decided to ignore it as Edward quickly changed the conversation.

"So what do you guys have next?" he asked.

They all started to engage in meaningless chatter as they spoke about their first day and their new classes. Edward and Bella listened as the four friends discussed and reminisced about their summer vacations, willing themselves not to think about theirs. As they talked about going to the beach and to the water slides, Bella simply rubbed at the tiny piece of rope fastened around her wrist, trying to think about the one good thing about her summer – Edward.

When Edward noticed Bella phasing out, staring off into the distance with her fingers entwined in her makeshift bracelet, he unconsciously rubbed at his own, feeling strangely bothered.

It wasn't the fact that their friends had an amazing summer and they didn't. It wasn't the fact that their friends had been free to do what they wanted, when they wanted and they hadn't been. In fact, both Edward and Bella loved the fact that their friends weren't being careful around them. They weren't treading lightly around certain conversations in fear of upsetting the other two at the table. What bothered them was the fact that they couldn't escape the situation. It was the fact that even if they tried, their kidnapping and the memories that accompanied it would always resurface.

Edward decided he needed to get some air and decided to bring Bella along with him.

"Hey guys, we're just going to go outside for a bit. I also need to show Bella where her locker is so we'll see you later," Edward said, getting up and grabbing his and Bella's garbage to throw out.

As they walked out the cafeteria doors, Edward placed his hand on her lower back, needed to feel her close to him in order to fully relax.

"You okay?" he asked, noticing her stiff posture.

"Yeah, I'm fine. This is just a little overwhelming," she said.

"I know. Oh, I forgot to ask. How was Alice this morning?"

"She's really great. I like all of them, Edward. I can see why you're friends with them. Alice has so much energy and Emmett is really funny. I haven't really talked to Rosalie but she's really pretty and Jasper seems really sweet."

Edward laughed at her description of his friends but nodded in understanding. "Yeah, they really are great," he started. "I've known them forever and they're honestly like family. My mom always calls us her five children. She always says 'I don't only have one boy. I have _three_ handsome boys and two beautiful daughters'."

Bella chuckled. "Your mom is really great, too," she said, smiling.

Edward showed Bella where her locker was then but Bella wasn't really paying attention. She simply followed Edward around knowing that by the end of the week she would hopefully have the campus memorized.

When the bell rang, indicating the end of lunch, Edward and Bella walked together toward the only class they had together – biology. As they walked through the door, Edward led her toward a lab table on the far side and toward the back of the room. As they both sat down, waiting for the class to begin, Mike approached their desk.

"Hey Bella," he said.

"Hi Mike," Bella said, shyly.

Edward watched their exchange with curiosity as he wondered when they had met.

"How was lunch?" Mike asked.

Bella paused and scrunched her eyebrows before answering. "It was good," she said.

"Good. So listen, I know you're new and stuff but every year we have this like sort of welcome back party thing...Um...Yeah...Well since it's our senior year we're having this like really big one this year...It's at my place and I don't know if Edward told you about it but it's this weekend and you should totally come. It'll be really fun. You can...like...meet new people and stuff. And we could...hang...out..."

Edward was staring at Mike, giving him one hell of an evil glare.

"Bella and I will be going together, Mike," Edward said between clenched teeth.

Bella looked at Edward, wondering why he was so angry. Not even Edward understood his frustration. He knew Bella would be perfectly safe but he felt a sudden protectiveness over her that went beyond her safety. It wasn't about danger – it was about her being with Mike. The thought of Bella spending time with Mike Newton angered him and he didn't know why.

"Alright, yeah I figured you would be. But I'll be there too, so if you want to... Bella...you can come find me." Mike winked and walked back to his desk just as Mr Banner walked in.

Edward was practically seething as he watched Bella blush at Mike's wink. He momentarily wondered if she liked him or if she found him cute. He suddenly started thinking about what would happen if she would date Mike. His thoughts were interrupted as he felt Bella's small hand on his wrist.

"You okay?" she asked, quietly.

Edward swallowed and nodded and turned his head toward the front of the class as Mr Banner started his lecture while handing out the syllabus.

Most of what they would be learning throughout the year, Bella had already covered at her previous school. In any other class, she would have sighed, not being able to tone down her anxiety over wanting and needing to see Edward, but for this hour he was sitting right next to her. She could feel him, smell him, hear his shallow breathing and she was comforted by the notion. Mr Banner could have passed out a pop quiz and she wouldn't have cared.

She found herself wishing that she and Edward had coordinated their schedules.

After biology, Edward walked Bella to the gym where she could meet up with Alice and Rosalie.

"Alright we've got her now, Edward. You can relax," Rosalie said, chuckling.

"Seriously. Protective much, Edward?" Alice laughed.

"Ha Ha. I trust you guys with her so don't fuck it up. And keep your thoughts to yourselves please."

Edward knew what Rose and Alice spent their time talking about. They talked about boys and kissing and covering bases and sex and he didn't want Bella to have to be exposed to all of that.

Edward smiled at Bella and told her he would see her in an hour to drive her home. She smiled back and turned toward Rosalie and Alice.

"Finally, we've got you alone," Rosalie said, smiling.

"Oh my God, Bella, how did you do it?" Alice asked.

Bella stared at them both with a look of utter confusion. "Do what?" she asked.

"How did you get Edward to be your boyfriend? We've known him since kindergarten and he has never looked at anyone the way he looks at you. Girls have thrown themselves at him left, right, and center and he has never shown interest in anyone. He meets you and suddenly a commitment is like the greatest thing ever," Rosalie said.

"Umm...yeah...we're not dating..." Bella answered, slowly.

Rosalie and Alice looked at each other. "What?" they both said in unison.

"Yeah...we're um...just friends or something...I guess." Bella started to feel uncomfortable and didn't understand why they would think Edward was her boyfriend.

"Ookayy," Alice muttered slowly, shifting her eyes from left to right.

"But...you're all like...close and stuff. He always has his arm around you and like...touching you," Rose said.

"Yeah...He's never been like that with anyone. And we've known him since he was like six," Alice added.

"Well, I don't know...we feel comfortable with each other. But we're not like...together together," Bella said slowly.

Alice and Rosalie decided to drop it as they made their way toward the girl's dressing room to get ready for gym. The Forks High uniform consisted of a pair of black shorts and a white short sleeved t-shirt with the school logo printed on the top left hand corner.

As soon as they stepped into the locker room, Bella froze. The room was filled with girls her age standing in just their bras and underwear and Bella began to panic. Girls all around her were removing their pants and shirts in order to change into their gym uniforms and Bella knew she soon had to be amongst them.

Alice and Rosalie walked to their usual lockers and immediately started changing. Rosalie ripped off her shirt, exposing her bright purple lace bra and Alice removed her pants revealing a pair of boy-short black underwear.

Bella felt the anxiety rising in her chest as her breathing started picking up. She was expected to change in front of all these girls. The multiple colours of their undergarments were jumping out at her, making her self-conscious of not only her scars, but of the plain grey bra she wore underneath her sweater.

She suddenly felt trapped, needing to remove herself from the area.

"Bella, are you okay?" Alice said, now in only her undergarments.

"You look kinda pale," Rosalie said, standing next to Alice.

Their perfect skin jumped out at her and she fled. She ran, not knowing where she was going to go or even where she wanted to go. She didn't want to disturb Edward over something as small as her insecurities but she knew he was the only person that would be able to help her right now.

She frantically ran to her locker, ready to search for his schedule and take him up on his offer. She ran down corridors and corridors, having not the slightest idea where she was. All day she had been following Edward around, not paying attention to where she was going. Now she was lost, and she had no idea what to do.

As her chest tightened, she fell back onto the closest wall, sliding down, bringing her knees up to her face and shoving her face into her crossed arms. She allowed the tears to fall down her cheeks as she cradled herself, trying to calm herself down but the feeling was all too familiar as she felt unwontedly trapped.

The hallways were quiet and empty as all other students were in class and Bella thanked God because all she needed was for someone to see her crying. As she heard frantic footsteps approaching she didn't even have the time to worry before she felt _his_ presence.

"BELLA?" Edward cried.

Bella looked up and the second she saw him she broke out into full out sobs.

"Fuck, what happened?" he asked, dropping to his knees and worriedly enveloping her in a tight hug.

"I...I...I...don't...know," she wailed, hugging him back, shoving her face into the crook of his neck.

"Why didn't you come find me?" he asked.

"I...I...couldn't...find...I couldn't...find...my...locker," she said between sobs.

Edward hugged her even tighter.

"Look at me," he said.

Bella kept her head pressed against his shoulder.

"Isabella Swan, look at me," he said forcefully.

She slowly lifted her head to look at him.

The second their eyes met, his hands came to rest on either side of her face. Their faces were merely inches apart.

"Where are you?" he asked.

Bella took a deep breath but didn't answer.

"Where are you, Bella?" he asked again.

Bella paused before answering.

"At school," she said softly.

"Where at school?"

Bella looked down.

"Bella, where at school are you?" he said, forcing her eyes to look into his.

Bella looked around her. "In the hallway."

"Where are you going after school?"

Bella felt herself starting to relax. She took a deep breath, still staring into Edward's eyes.

"Where are you going after school?" Edward repeated.

"Home."

"Home?" Edward asked.

"Yes, I'm going home," she said.

Edward relaxed his stance and removed his hands from her face. He slowly wiped the tears from her eyes, knowing that he'd seen her cry way too many times in the short amount of time he'd known her.

"How did you find me?" she asked

Bella and Edward were still sitting extremely close to one another, and the feel of Edward's breath on her face was slowly allowing Bella's heart rate to return back to normal.

"Bella, it's not important how I found you. It's important _that_ I found you. I will _always_ find you. No matter what," Edward said, caressing her cheek.

"Thank you," Bella said, quietly and sincerely.

Edward nodded. "Let's go," he said, grabbing her hand and helping her up.

"What about class?" she said.

"Do you want to go back?" he asked, stopping and turning to look at her.

Bella paused then shook her head.

"That's what I thought."

Edward led Bella toward his car then, ready to drive her home.

As they were stopped at a red light, Bella turned her head to the right and felt herself tense once again. The golden arches of McDonalds brought back unwanted memories and when Edward turned to see what she was looking at, he placed his hand on her arm, forcing her eyes away from the building and back toward him.

Edward tried to remain composed but he knew what she was thinking as the smell drifted through even with the car doors closed and the windows rolled up.

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_Bella awoke to a very familiar smell but couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Edward was sitting in front of her with a smile on his face. She lifted herself off the floor, a difficult task due to the ties around her wrist, and rubbed at her eyes. Between them was a brown paper bag which she needed to squint at in order to recognize._

"_McDonalds?" Bella asked._

_Edward smiled at her again._

_She'd never seen Edward smile before and the sight was the happiest thing she'd seen since she got there. His teeth were perfectly straight and pearly white. His smile elicited an automatic smile back from her._

"_Where did it come from?" she asked._

"_He bought it for me, since I've been good. I decided to share with you," he smiled again._

_Bella frowned._

"_Oh, no, I can't take any from you. You've earned it. I don't want any. I'm not hungry."_

_The smile fell from his face. The truth was that Bella was dying for a taste because the smell was so familiar. It made her realize that everything kept going exactly as it was as they were stuck down there in the cellar. She wanted it because even the slightest taste of something normal and regular would have been nice._

"_I want to share. I waited for you to wake up before having some," Edward said softly._

"_Edward, I can't. It doesn't feel right..."_

"_If you won't have any, I won't either," he said, pushing the bag to the side._

_Bella sighed and nodded at him, indicating her acquiescence. He smiled again as he opened the bag, taking a big whiff, then lifting it up to Bella's face, so she could smell it as well. _

_He pulled out a box of 10 chicken nuggets, followed by a large fry and barbecue sauce, laying it out between them. He reached out, grabbed a fry, and handed it to her. She took it from him and gently slipped it into her mouth, chewing slowly while closing her eyes. After eating stale bread and warm water for days, a McDonald's fry tasted great. It was oily and just as disgusting as she remembered it, but she loved every bite. _

_She could see the smile on Edward's face, and she realized then how deprived they'd been. A single bag of McDonald's put such a big smile on both their faces but Edward seemed even more excited than she was. She started feeling really bad for him but realized they were both thrown into the same situation and she couldn't pity him._

"_Is this the first time you've eaten something other than that stale food?" she asked him._

_He looked at her and nodded slowly. She felt the tears build up in her eyes and willed herself not to ruin a happy moment. His smile was mesmerizing and she decided to shut her mouth and just enjoy it with him. She didn't know how long he'd been there but she knew that this was the first good thing to happen to him in a long time. Part of her couldn't believe that McDonald's was the reasoning behind his exuberant smile, but she didn't care. _

_She loved seeing him happy and she didn't know why._

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**Thank you once again to everyone who is reading and reviewing.**

**Reviews get teasers :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

As always thanks to the fantastic **SabLuvsLogan**

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Chapter 5

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Bella's second day at Forks High passed by much better than her first. After the events that occurred during gym class, Edward brought Bella on a full tour of the school. Even though she never had to, she was now comfortable enough to make her way to and from all of her classes, never getting lost.

When she walked into the gym locker room the following day, she knew what to expect, and so instead of looking up and following Rose and Alice, she walked with her head down straight to the very back where the bathrooms were located. Once inside, she closed and locked the door and proceeded to change into her uniform, safely, comfortably, and far away from the scrutinizing eyes of her fellow students.

When she emerged from the bathroom in her shorts and t-shirt, the locker room was pretty much empty and she walked, with a grin on her face, toward the rest of the students for her gym class. At the end of the day, when she met Edward in the parking lot, she threw herself into his arms. He was momentarily caught offguard, worried that something bad had happened, but when he realized she was happy, he wrapped his arms around her, laughing while lifting her off the ground.

"Are you that happy to see me?" he said, lightly putting her down.

Edward kept his arms around her waist as Bella's kept hers around his neck.

"I did it! I spent a whole day here without needing your help!"

Bella was smiling and Edward frowned momentarily because he liked the fact that Bella needed him.

"Well I mean, I still needed your presence and stuff but I didn't need you to come save me or anything!" she explained.

Bella was trying to make him feel better but he was still frowning because he liked saving her.

"Edward! Just be happy! I went through a whole day and nothing bad happened!"

Edward smiled then. "I'm very proud of you," he said, still with his hands on her waist.

Bella chuckled and allowed her eyes to drift away from Edward's. When she looked around, she noticed a parking lot full of students staring at the two of them. Bella coughed nervously and disconnected herself from Edward's embrace.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked.

"Nothing. Everything is perfect," she said nervously.

"Bella," Edward chided.

"I'll tell you tonight, okay?" Bella said, keeping some distance between the two of them.

She remembered what Rosalie and Alice had said to her and she didn't want the whole school thinking that she and Edward were a couple when they weren't.

Edward nodded and made sure to remind himself to ask her first thing that evening about why she backed away from him, something she had never done before. He briefly wondered if he had been holding her too closely – if he had made her uncomfortable. The thought didn't settle well and it simply led to worse ones. He then wondered whether maybe Mike Newton was standing behind him and Bella hadn't wanted Mike to see her hugging him.

The thoughts got worse and worse as the evening progressed and at 9:00 he was so restless that he left his house earlier than usual to head over to Bella's. As he tapped on the window, he saw Bella jump off her bed and walk toward the sill.

"You're early," she said smiling while unlocking it.

"Yeah, sorry. I was bored," he lied.

"It's okay. I was bored too."

Bella moved out of the way to let him in her room and before she even had the chance to close the window, Edward blurted out the question he had been dying to ask her.

"Why did you back away from me today?"

"What?" Bella asked.

"Today. After school. You saw something and you stepped away from me. Why?"

"Oh," she said, laughing and closing the window. "That was nothing."

"Well, can you explain because it's been driving me crazy," Edward said.

"I forgot to tell you yesterday...because of what happened...but during gym, right before I freaked out," she paused scrunching her eyebrows, "Alice and Rosalie asked me how I'd managed to make you my boyfriend."

Edward didn't say anything so she continued.

"They told me that they'd never seen you look at anyone the way you look at me and they'd known you since forever and you've never had a girlfriend which by the way, is that true?"

"Bella, please stay on topic," Edward said trying to dodge the question. His efforts were successful since Bella nodded and continued.

"Right, sorry. Anyways I told them we weren't dating and they didn't believe me and they finally dropped it but then I realized that maybe we were kind of leading people to believe the wrong thing what with us always being together and you walking me to class. Isn't that a boyfriend thing to do? Anyways, so today we were all close and I had my arms around you and your arms were around my waist and I realized that we probably looked like a couple to the other students who don't really know our situation. So...I...backed away. Sorry if I offended you or something," Bella said.

Edward let out a large huff. "Oh! Thank God! I thought I made you uncomfortable or something, I was freaking out! Phew!" he said, wiping his brow dramatically.

Bella laughed. "Edward, you could never make me uncomfortable."

"I'll keep that in mind," Edward said. "I didn't realize people thought we were dating though. I'll fix this tomorrow, okay? I'll...um...I'll tell Jessica Stanley that I'm still single and the whole school will know in about three seconds."

Bella smiled and laughed. "Thanks Edward."

Edward smiled back and started throwing pillows and blankets on the floor. As he was doing so, Bella paused.

"So...um...is it true?" she asked.

"Is what true?" Edward asked confused.

"Have you...never had...a...girlfriend," she asked slowly.

"Oh," he said slowly. "Well...no...not really. Not an official one anyway that I've like introduced to my parents. I've been out with girls and I've...um...done stuff...with girls but no I guess I've never asked anyone to be my girlfriend. You've seen the girls at Forks High. They're really not all that interesting."

"Hmm," Bella said.

"What?" he asked.

"No nothing, it's just interesting," Bella said.

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "Have you ever had...a...boyfriend?" he asked, slowly looking up at her.

"No," she laughed.

"Why is that funny?"

"Don't be absurd, Edward. Look at me. I've obviously never had a boyfriend."

Edward didn't understand what she meant.

"I don't get it."

"I'm boring Bella. I don't think a boy has ever shown any interest in me...physically I mean," she said nonchalantly.

"Umm...Mike Newton?" Edward said.

"What about him?" Bella asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He was practically drooling all over you. After biology yesterday I've been keeping my eye on him," Edward admitted shyly. "Every chance he gets he's staring at you."

"Really?" Bella asked, blushing.

She blushed at the fact that Edward had been keeping his eye on Mike Newton but Edward took it the wrong way. He thought she was blushing at the news of Mike staring at her every chance he got.

Edward's jaw clenched.

"Yeah. Do you like him?" he asked sceptically.

"No...well...I don't know," she said quickly. "I just didn't notice, I mean, I thought he was just being nice. Everyone is very friendly."

Edward nodded but decided to drop it since he no longer wanted to talk about Bella and Mike Newton.

Later that night, as they lay down in their makeshift bed, Edward spoke up. "So we have our second appointment with Dr Aro tomorrow after school, eh?"

"Aw man. I forgot about that. Sundays and Wednesdays have officially become the worst days of the week," Bella whined.

"Tell me about it," Edward said. "Whatever, we'll just answer what we feel like answering and anything else well...he can go fuck himself."

Bella giggled and Edward smiled at the fact that he was able to make her laugh.

"Okay. Let's sleep now. Goodnight Bella."

"Goodnight Edward."

Bella and Edward turned, facing opposite directions as they both fell asleep with small smiles on their faces.

* * *

"Alright, Edward and Bella, session two," Dr Aro said, smiling at the two patients sitting across from him. "I want to focus on Bella for today's session and then next time we can focus on you, Edward. Is that okay?"

It was not alright - with neither Edward nor Bella - but neither said a word.

"So, Bella how were your first few days at Forks High? Did you make any new friends?"

"It was...alright," she said slowly, not wanting Dr Aro to know exactly what had happened her first day. "And yeah I guess I met some new people but I mostly hung out with Edward's friends."

"You didn't make any friends on your own?"

"Well, a couple. There are a few students I talk to when I don't have class with anyone I know. But it's hard to call anyone a friend just yet."

Dr Aro nodded in understanding and Edward scrunched his face at the thought of Mike Newton.

"I want to know a little bit about your routine. What was your routine back in Phoenix with your mother and how has it changed now in Forks with your father?"

Bella took a deep breath and figured this was a question she could answer.

"Well, back in Phoenix, my mom didn't work so she was always home. My mom's husband, Phil, was a minor league baseball player so he was usually gone and sometimes she travelled with him but she mostly stayed home with me. So in the morning I would wake up and go to school and she would be there and when I would come home she would be there. It was nice, always having someone around but it was also a lot to handle. I never had a second to myself." Bella paused for a second. "But still, I kinda miss always having my mom around."

"Your father isn't home as much?"

"Well Charlie works a lot and he thinks I need my space...now...after...everything. My first week with him he was...all over me...every second of the day. He checked up on me all the time making sure I was okay, making sure I didn't need anything until I eventually snapped. I told him I was okay and I didn't need his constant care and he now gives me the space I need. He works the late shift now so he only gets home around 11. I'm usually already sleeping so I don't ever see him at night. But he's home every morning and we have breakfast together so that's nice."

"Can I ask why you didn't return to Phoenix when everything was over and done with? Why you decided to stay in Forks instead of going home?"

Bella shrugged and decided to give Dr Aro the same answer she'd given her mother.

"Phoenix is where it happened. We may not have been staying in Phoenix the whole time but it brings back too many...memories – unwanted memories. Plus my mom would have been all over me about my safety and everything and it would have been too much to handle. My dad knows this town really well and he's really confident because he's the chief. He knows that nothing will happen to me while I'm under his roof and I mean, that's kind of comforting at the same time. He may not be home that often but...I have Edward keeping me company now."

Edward smiled inwardly.

"How much time do the two of you spend together, roughly?"

Edward and Bella looked at each other.

"Um...I don't know. We go to school together and we spend lunch together and we hang out a bit after school..." Bella said slowly, not wanting to reveal their sleeping arrangements.

Dr Aro nodded slowly.

"How do you find it at night?"

Edward's head snapped up suddenly finding that a very strange question to ask.

Bella cleared her throat nervously. "It's bearable. Every night gets easier."

"Any nightmares?"

"No, not usually," answered Bella, scrunching her eyebrows.

"Are we done with the interrogation?" asked Edward, sounding annoyed.

"Not even close, Mr. Cullen. I'm trying to help you guys. Your parents seem to be worried at how much time you spend together. You are just friends, right?"

Bella was about to say yes when Edward cut her off.

"What does it matter?"

"It matters because if the two of you were to be dating we would need to have entirely different conversations."

Edward scoffed and turned to stare down at his hands.

"I understand that you two are close. I mean it only makes sense, really. I'm not concerned about you two spending time together, I'm more concerned about _why_ you're spending time together. Do you enjoy each other's company? Or do you _need_ each other's company? There is a big difference between these two questions and this is your parent's main concern."

* * *

"Who does he think he is? I mean seriously. 'Do you _need_ each other's company?' Ugh. He's such an asshole. He deals with us because he's not smart enough to deal with people with actual problems."

Edward was ranting and practically yelling as he drove himself and Bella home after their appointment with Dr Aro. It did not exactly go as well as they had hoped and Bella's silence worried him even more.

"Why are you so quiet?" he asked.

Bella paused for a second before answering. "Edward...he was right." She paused again, swallowing and looking down at her hands. "I don't spend time with you because I want to," Bella whispered.

"Ouch," Edward said, sincerely hurt by her statement.

"No, that's not what I meant. Edward...I...I need you. I need you a lot more than you need me and I didn't realize it until he flat out asked the question. I mean yes I enjoy your company but I wouldn't just miss you if you weren't around...I...I wouldn't be able to...breathe. Edward, I can't do anything without you. Hell, I couldn't even change into a gym uniform without you. If you were to go away for whatever reason I wouldn't be able to...do...anything."

Edward pulled into the driveway and turned to look at Bella. A lone tear slid down her face as she fidgeted with the makeshift bracelet on her wrist.

"Bella," he said, gently lifting her chin with his index finger. "Where else am I going to go?"

The question was rhetorical and when she didn't say anything he decided to continue.

"I won't ever let you experience a life without me by your side. We may not be dating but it doesn't mean anything. Plenty of people have best friends of the opposite sex. Nobody I talk to will ever understand what I'm really thinking. Nobody except for you because you're thinking the exact same things I'm thinking. Bella it kills me when I think about not being able to protect you from people like..._him_." Edward spat out the final word and Bella shuttered. "I will always be here. You won't ever have to experience living without me, okay?"

Bella slowly lifted her head and nodded. When she looked into his eyes she realized just how serious he was being and she felt comforted.

As they both sat for a second digesting their past session, Bella suddenly remembered what she needed to ask Edward. She started to shuffle in her seat, knowing she had to ask him to help her but not knowing how.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Edward...I have to...shower," Bella said, barely uttering the last word.

"Bella, don't be nervous about asking me. I told you I don't mind." Edward paused. "Wait a minute...fuck! I'm such an idiot! Bella, when was the last time? The last time was...Sunday? Bella, it's been three days!"

"Well I mean, I clean myself like with a face cloth, sort of like a sponge bath type thing. I'm clean Edward...I just haven't washed my hair... and I kinda have to now..."

"Bella! You don't have to worry about asking me! I'm so stupid! Why didn't I think of this!"

"I probably bring back memories every time I ask you," she whispered.

"I told you, Bella, the very same day we came back home. Remember? I told you that I am here for you as long as you need me to be here with you. If it's the only way then that's fine. I don't care and neither should anyone else. I'll be by tonight, okay?"

Bella nodded, hating the fact that she couldn't even shower on her own anymore without Edward's mere presence.

"You know what? We'll work it into our routine. Every night, when I come over, you shower. Sound good?"

Bella nodded shyly.

**

* * *

**

:::

* * *

_Bella was flipping through a random book she found beside her, not quite paying attention to any details, when she heard the heavy boots resounding above her. Her heart immediately started palpitating and her breathing became ragged. Quickly closing the book, she threw it aside and lay down, pretending to be asleep. He had never woken her up while she was sleeping, and this was how she avoided him._

_The steps got louder and louder until she heard them in front of her._

"_Wake up," he yelled, while giving her a sharp kick to the stomach._

_Bella groaned out in pain and when she opened her eyes she could see Edward on the other side of the room with a look of pure mortification._

"_You need to shower, you smell like shit," he said while grabbing her arms and forcing her upright._

_Bella moaned in pain as the tears unwillingly fell from her eyes. Her stomach was already hurting from his kick as she reached down to grab at it. He started pulling her across the room and once they turned the corner, they stepped into the bathroom that she had only previously been allowed to use three times a day – to use the toilet. He pushed her in and closed the door._

"_Go. Shower," he said, while sitting down on the toilet and picking up a magazine._

_Bella stared at him with wide, tear-filled eyes, breathing deeply._

"_Hurry the fuck up!" he said, looking at her angrily._

_She couldn't do it. She would rather have smelled as bad as she did then to have to remove any of her clothing and shower in front of him. He let out a huge groan and rose abruptly. Bella yelped in fear and backed away from him as he angrily opened the bathroom door. _

"_You either shower in front of me or in front of him," he yelled, while pointing to Edward, sitting in the corner. "You can't shower alone. Who knows what you'll do."_

_Edward had his head in his hands, as he was furiously ripping at his hair. When the man opened the door, Edward looked up immediately, locking eyes with Bella. She looked at him with frightened eyes and he gave another hurtful look as his eyes turned away._

"_Well? Choose! Me or him?" the man asked again._

_She was crying so hard that she couldn't make a single word escape from her mouth. She lifted her tied wrists and pointed toward Edward, indicating her selection._

"_Fine," he said, with a mischievous smile. "Boy, accompany her," he yelled toward Edward._

_Edward got up immediately and walked slowly toward the bathroom. The man aggressively untied Bella's wrists as she grabbed at them, relenting in her freedom._

"_You can do whatever you want to her. Let me know if she struggles or if she gives you a hard time," he said, while turning away and walking out of the bathroom. He closed the door and they could hear the boots traveling further and further away, until the noise was upstairs._

_Bella's eyes grew wide fearing for what was about to happen. She didn't know or understand what the freedom to do whatever he wanted to her meant. Bella had started to trust Edward but was suddenly feeling extremely fearful - she knew how the male teenage mind worked. _

_Edward slowly lifted his hand to lock the door then looked up and slowly started walking toward her. She instinctively backed away from him, pushing herself into the wall behind her._

_Edward gave her a sad expression as he reached for the Kleenex box and handed her a tissue. She took it from him reluctantly and started to dab at her eyes. He then pulled out the first aid unit from the counter and started to clean up the cuts on her wrists from the ties. It stung like hell because the cuts were open and many days old._

_Once he finished, he walked away from her, toward the door. He had his back to her and kept his eyes glued on the door._

"_I have to stay in here, or he'll get upset. But I promise you I won't look." He slowly turned around then to look into her eyes. "I swear to you I won't even take a peak." Then he turned himself into the corner so he couldn't see her reflection through the mirror._

_All of a sudden she trusted him again. She didn't know why but she did. She turned around and turned on the water and as she let it heat up, she slowly started removing her clothes. She removed her shirt and when it was off she looked back up at Edward. He hadn't moved. She removed her pants then and followed with her tank top, bra, and finally her underwear and socks. She was completely naked and when she looked back up, Edward still hadn't moved an inch._

_She stepped under the water and allowed herself to lose herself in the warmth. The water strolling off her skin was light brown as she grabbed the used bar of soap on the mantle and began to scrub as hard as she could in order to get clean. She then reached for the shampoo and thoroughly cleansed her hair three times. Once her hair was clean enough, she cleaned her body one last time before turning the water off and stepping out of the shower to grab a towel. _

_Bella wrapped it around herself and hesitated before speaking._

"_Um...Is there any way I can get a change of clothes?" she asked, quietly._

"_I'll see what I can do," he said, keeping his head down while opening the door, and stepping out of the bathroom._

_A few minutes later he came back in with his arm over his eyes, holding a pair of old, ripped up sweat pants and a white t-shirt._

"_You can wear these for now while I wash your clothes," he said, handing her the clothing._

"_Whose clothes are these?"_

"_They're mine. We can share though. I have a pair of jeans and a pair of sweats so when I'm wearing my jeans and yours need to be washed you can wear these...and...vice versa. They may not smell as good as I want them to though..."_

_Bella brought them slowly up to her face and inhaled. They really didn't smell all that bad so she just shrugged her shoulders and smiled at him. He turned around again giving her privacy to dress._

_The sweats and shirt were way too big but she rolled and tied them in order to fit. She tapped Edward on the shoulder then and told him it was okay for him to turn around. As he slowly turned around, his eyes were downcast, looking at something in his hands, with a strange expression clouding his features. When Bella looked down she noticed the thick rope that had previously been tied around her wrists. _

_She hadn't noticed it when she grabbed the clothes from him._

"_I...He...I...," Edward muttered, struggling with his words._

_Bella slowly brought her hand under his chin, and lifted his head to look at her. His eyes were filled with sorrow._

"_I'm so sorry," he whispered._

_Bella gave him a weak smile and smoothed the hair away from his eyes. She then slowly lifted her hands together so he could fasten the ties around her wrist. Edward delicately placed the thick rope around her wrists, tying it nowhere near as tight as they had been for the past week._

"_Thank you," she said, quietly._

_Edward kept his eyes down and they both exited the bathroom. Bella returned to her spot in the corner as she noticed Edward grabbing her clothes. She got up and followed after him._

"_I can do my own laundry if you want," she suggested._

"_It's fine," he said, shrugging._

_He opened a door then that lead to the laundry room. The room was tiny and fit only the small washer and dryer. When he opened the door, Bella felt a cold gust of wind pull through. She shivered as her hair was still wet and realized suddenly she was freezing cold. Edward noticed and reached around the door to grab a blanket. He gave it to her then and went in to the bathroom to retrieve an elastic for her to tie up her hair._

_Bella heard the boots again descending the stairs, so she quickly tied up her hair, fastened the blanket around herself, and returned to her corner. Once the door was swung open, she kept her eyes down, refusing to look up at him. He stepped in front of her and yanked her face upward. He took a sniff of her hair and muttered, "that's better"._

_Then he turned the corner and went toward Edward._

"_Did she show you a good time," he said, with a smile on his face, patting him on the back._

_Edward gave a small, short, smile._

_The man crinkled his eyebrows. "That smile doesn't look like the one a man should have after getting fucked," he said, looking back at Bella._

_She shifted her eyes away from them, and looked back down at her hands._

"_Did she give you a hard time?" he yelled starting to walk toward Bella._

"_No. No. It was good," Edward said quickly. He noticed the man wasn't pleased with this answer so he continued. "She was very...satisfying," Edward said._

_The man smiled and walked back toward Edward. "I was pretty sure she was a virgin so I thought it would be better for you, you know?" the man said, still smiling._

_Edward smiled meekly and let out a fake chuckle while nodding his head._

_Bella stared at them as she couldn't believe the conversation they were having._

"_So, is she?" the man asked._

_Edward gave him a confused look._

"_Is she a virgin?" he clarified._

_Edward looked back at Bella and she quickly looked away._

"_I don't know," he said, quietly._

"_What do you mean you don't know?" The man's voice got louder. "I give you a naked fucking girl all to yourself and you don't do anything with her," he yelled, slapping Edward hard across the face._

_Edward grabbed his face and quickly turned back around. "No. No. That's not what I meant," he quickly explained. "I meant...I...I just..." Edward paused before letting his eyes roam around the room. "I just had her suck on it."_

_The man smiled wickedly while turning back toward Bella, who was forcing her tears not to spill over._

"_Nice. Did she swallow?" he asked._

_Edward paused for a moment, looking back toward Bella. Finally he exhaled and nodded slowly while looking down toward his feet._

_The man patted him hard on the back and turned while walking toward Bella's side of the room. "Maybe you can do me sometime, sugar," he said, while giving her a wink and climbing the stairs to leave the room. _

_As soon as the door slammed shut the tears spilled from her eyes and she cried while cradling her knees to her chest._

_Edward's heart broke at the sight and he decided to slowly approach her._

"_Bella...I'm so sorry. I had to say that to him or he would have freaked out at the both of us. He would have like...made you do something...to me...while he watched and I could never put you through that."_

_Bella continued to cry._

_Edward reluctantly lifted his arms and brought them around her small frame. He pulled her up against his chest as she sobbed into his neck._

_

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_

**I'm going to be doing something a little different this week. I have an outtake that goes with this chapter which is about the day Edward and Bella got home from the kidnapping and Bella had to take a shower all by herself for the first time.**

**Instead of sending out a teaser, I'll be sending out the outtake to all those who review.**

**The teaser for Chapter 6 (Mike Newton's Party) will be up next Monday (August 16) on the Fictionators Teaser Monday so you can check it out there - www (.) fictionators (.) com**

**And finally, thank you again to everyone who is reviewing and adding this to their favourites and story alerts.**


	6. Chapter 5 Outtake

**Alright...so I know I said I would send this outtake as a special thank you to everyone who reviewed but** **I decided to just post it as a separate chapter.  
Surprise! Happy Friday! :)**

**As mentioned...this is Bella and Edward's first day back from the kidnapping and Bella has to shower alone for the first time in four months.**

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

Thanks again to **SabLuvsLogan**

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Chapter 5 - Outtake

Showering

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As Edward slowly walked into his bedroom for the first time in four months, he looked around, noticing everything was exactly the same way he had left it. He slowly walked over to his desk, noticing his old school books neatly arranged on the corner. He momentarily wondered what would happen since he missed the last two months of his junior year. He wondered if he would have to redo the whole grade. As he realized he didn't care because all he really wanted was to be rid of his dirty clothes, he walked slowly toward the bathroom connected to his bedroom.

As Edward scrubbed off every last piece of dirt from his body and hair, he turned off the water of the shower and grabbed a towel. After drying himself off, he wiped a clear spot in the mirror and stared at himself. A fresh purple bruise sat under his left eye and a small cut lay on his bottom lip. He took a deep breath then, sighing and drying his hair with the towel from his body. As he stood naked in his bathroom he realized for the first time in four months that he was completely alone. No one would barge through the door yelling and screaming.

The thought both pleased and unnerved him.

He exited the bathroom then walking into his bedroom as he opened his drawer, pulling out a fresh pair of boxer shorts. He smelled them first, basking in the scent of fabric softener before pulling them on.

There was a soft knock at the door then as he jumped back in surprise. "Edward, dear, it's me," his mom said quietly from the other side.

"Come in," he said, shaking his head and taking a deep breath.

"Hi," his mother whispered as a lone tear ran down her cheek.

"Mom," Edward said before wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.

"I missed you so much," she said, crying. "I just came to bring you this."

She was holding a freshly laundered suit in her hands. "I thought you might like to wear something nice for dinner tonight with Charlie and Bella. I invited them over. No one wants to be alone at a time like this."

Edward nodded and took the suit from her as she left the room. He slipped on the pair of black pants with the white button down shirt, rolling the sleeves up to his forearms. He walked into the bathroom then, thoroughly brushing his teeth and attempting to tame his hair for the first time in a long time.

When he was ready, he headed downstairs, planning on relaxing. The problem was he no longer knew what that word meant. He saw Carlisle sitting lazily on the couch watching TV but Edward had no interest in doing so. He began getting restless until he did the one thing he really wanted to do – go visit Bella.

He told his parents he would be back soon as he hopped into his car and headed toward Chief Swans place – Bella's new home.

After ringing the doorbell, Charlie answered the door looking dishevelled and scared.

"Oh thank God," he cried.

Edward looked at him quizzically wondering what was wrong.

"What's wrong, Chief? Everything okay?" Edward asked worriedly.

"She's been in the bathroom this whole time. She won't come out and I can't go in and I don't know what to do. I need her mother or something...God...I'm such a failure," Charlie went on sounding pained.

Edward walked by him, not caring what he saying because his only worry lay with the girl upstairs. He didn't know what was wrong with Bella but he would make it okay. He would always make it okay. He took the stairs two at a time before stopping in front of what he assumed to be the bathroom.

He knocked lightly before calling out to her. "Bella," he whispered softly. "It's me...it's Edward. Can I come in?"

Charlie watched as his daughter let Edward into the bathroom after one measly knock after he'd been trying for the last two hours. He sighed then and realized it didn't matter. As long as she was okay it was fine.

When Edward walked into the bathroom, the sight before him took his breath away. Bella was sitting on the toilet, with her hair and face still as dirty as he last saw it. She sat in the same filthy clothing he last saw her in, her face stained with tears and her body black with dirt.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward asked.

"I...I...I can't do it without...without you," she said between sobs. "I tried so hard. I really did. But I just..I don't know what to do."

"Bella," he said, inching closer to her.

"No, Edward. This isn't fair," she said, looking up at him finally.

What she saw before her made her cry more. He was beautiful, she thought. She saw him with his perfectly coiffed hair and his beautifully smooth skin and his wonderfully clean clothes and she envied him.

"You look amazing," she said.

Edward knew what he had to do then. He looked her straight in the eyes as he helped her up and hugged her tightly. Without saying a word, he turned toward the door and locked it. He settled himself into the corner wall, closing his eyes, praying she would be okay to shower.

Bella knew right away what he was doing and although she hated herself for needing him there when he clearly hadn't needed her, she felt relaxed. She undressed then, rushing into the shower and taking quite possibly the best shower ever.

When she was finished, she wrapped herself in a towel as Edward kept his eyes closed.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He nodded and smiled as he stepped out of the bathroom.

After closing the door behind him, he looked up to find Chief Swan staring down at him.

Edward realized then what he must have been thinking.

"This is not what it looks like," Edward tried to explain.

"Edward Cullen, did you just watch my sixteen year old daughter shower?" Charlie said with his arms crossed.

* * *

**Hope you liked it. Don't forget to check out the Fictionators on Monday for the teaser to Chapter 6!**

**www(.)fictionators(.)com**


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

As always, many thanks to my amazing beta **SabLuvsLogan**

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Chapter 6

* * *

Bella's first week at Forks High came and went and during Friday's biology hour, Bella sat next to Edward with a smile on her face, awaiting the weekend.

"You look happy. I like it when you smile," Edward whispered to her.

Bella smiled even wider. "I did it. I made it through the week and I didn't have to come get you. I'm very happy. And...I...I also like it when you smile," she said shyly.

Edward watched as a perfect pink blush coloured her face and he smiled back at her. That smile quickly fell as Mike Newton sauntered up, effectively ruining the moment.

Abiding by Bella's wishes, Edward had had a brief conversation with Jessica Stanley in which he mentioned the fact that he was still single and therefore not in a relationship with Bella. The news spread as quickly as he had imagined but he soon came to regret his decision. Now that the entire senior class knew that Bella was single, Edward watched as guy after guy approached her to introduce themselves. Mike Newton however was the worst because now that he knew she was single, he was not backing down.

"Hey Bella!" he exclaimed, coming way too close for comfort.

"Hi Mike," she responded with a small smile.

"So you're coming to my party tonight, right?"

Bella looked at Edward to make sure they were indeed going.

"Yeah, we'll be there, Mike," Edward responded for her.

"Awesome! See you then, Bella!"

Mike walked away to sit at his own desk and Edward exhaled. "Man, he's annoying."

Bella chuckled, pulling out her books and getting ready for the lesson.

Later that night, Edward rang Bella's doorbell wearing a pair of jeans and a plain blue button down shirt. Bella smiled at him, taking in how good he looked now compared to the clothes she had been used to seeing him in. She briefly noticed his newfound muscles that he'd acquired since joining the gym three weeks prior.

"Well hello Mr Muscles," she said, grabbing his biceps.

Edward grinned and flexed for her. "You like these, eh?" he said.

Bella couldn't resist laughing at the sight. "That gym is really paying off isn't it? You'll be batting off girls all night now."

"HA! No, I'll be batting off all the guys that are hell bent over you," he said, poking her nose.

Bella smiled and rolled her eyes.

Charlie was at work so they both climbed the stairs, heading into the upstairs bathroom. Edward grabbed a book and settled himself into the corner of the washroom, facing the door, as Bella quickly undressed and hopped in the shower. After showering, she wrapped a towel around herself and headed into her bedroom.

"So what should I wear tonight?" she asked.

"Um...clothes?" Edward answered.

"You're such a boy! What do the girls usually wear?"

"Um...clothes?"

"Edward! I don't want to be under dressed or over dressed!" she exclaimed.

"I don't know, Bella. Jessica Stanley will probably be wearing a shirt that shows a shit ton of cleavage and a really short skirt that shows her wonderfully disgusting stumpy legs. Alice and Rosalie will probably be wearing prom dresses and the other girls will be dressed normally."

"Hmm...Should I wear a skirt then?" she asked, looking through her closet.

Edward immediately thought back to all the guys that would be at the party. Eric...Tyler...Mike. He didn't want any of them to see her in a skirt.

"No. Don't wear a skirt. Just wear some jeans and a shirt," he said, matter-of-factly.

Bella nodded and when Edward left her bedroom to give her some privacy, she slipped on a pair of jeans with a plain black t-shirt.

"How's this?" she asked, stepping into the hallway and giving him a twirl.

Edward watched as she spun before him and smiled because she wasn't showing any inappropriate skin that would rile the boys at the party. Then he realized that the shirt she was wearing was a little tighter than what he had been use to and her curves were on full display. He decided it was alright since he wasn't planning on leaving her side at any point throughout the night.

"That's perfect," he said, smiling.

Bella grinned and went into the bathroom to finish getting ready. She dried her hair and tied it in a loose bun at the nape of her neck before applying a light layer of mascara.

When she was ready, they hopped into Edward's Volvo and headed toward Mike's for the party. When they arrived, Edward searched for parking, noticing the street was filled with recognizable cars. When he found a spot, he quickly parked and rounded the car to open the door for Bella. She thanked him and they both walked toward the right house on the street.

"Here we go," Edward said, taking in a big breath and placing his hand on Bella's lower back, leading her through the front door.

As soon as she stepped over the massive amounts of shoes, she knew this party would be a disaster. Jackets were thrown haphazardly over every piece of furniture. There was mud and water and beer and wrappers and chips all over the floor and the music was blaring so loud she couldn't even tell what song was playing.

Bella felt Edward's hand on the small of her back and realized that nothing else mattered. As she began to take the place in, wondering if she recognized anyone from school, Mike Newton rounded the corner.

"BELLA!" he yelled, obviously having had too much to drink.

Bella cowered back into Edward as she felt herself tense with the unwanted surprise.

"Hi Mike," she said with a small wave.

"I'm so glad you could make it. Do you want a tour?"

Edward slowly moved his hand from Bella's back to wrap around her waist as his grip tightened and he pulled her close. Mike noticed and decided to back down, waiting for a chance to get her when she was alone.

"Sorry Edward. You guys have fun. There's beer in the kitchen and there's food like everywhere so enjoy. Let me know if you need anything."

The last part was directed toward Bella but she missed the wink he gave her. Edward however did not and he promised himself he wouldn't leave her side, not even for a second. He didn't know why Mike suddenly had an unhealthy obsession for Bella but he didn't like it and he wasn't going to let Mike find out just how sweet and warm Bella truly was.

The thought of Mike Newton with his arm around Bella made Edward shiver. When Bella turned to look up at him, she smiled and he noticed a slight glow in her eyes that he'd never seen before. He realized then that the light layer of mascara she had put on made her eyes sparkle and he loved it. Her beautiful long eyelashes were fluttering and when she turned her head to look forward, he caught a quick whiff of her hair which smelled like strawberries. He didn't know why but he loved the scent more than any other smell and he told himself that he needed to hold her in this position more often.

"Your hair smells nice today," he said.

When she turned her head to smile up at him he smiled back and led her toward the kitchen.

The kitchen counters were filled with half eaten bags of chips and dip and the small island in the center was filled with bottles of differing sizes. When Bella looked up she noticed Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice in the corner drinking and laughing. She pointed them out to Edward and they approached them.

The four friends noticed Edward's firm hold on Bella but elected not to say anything.

"Hey guys!" Alice chirped.

"We were wondering when you were going to show," yelled Emmett.

"Jesus, Emmett. How many times do we have to tell you! You may not be able to hear your own voice but we fucking can!" said Jasper, clasping his ears and looking annoyed.

Bella giggled and waved hello.

"What do you guys want to drink?" asked Rosalie.

"I'm gonna have a beer but where is it? I just see fucking bottles everywhere," Edward said, craning his neck, searching for beer.

"It's in the fridge," Emmet said, pointing in the wrong direction.

"How much has he had to drink?" Edward said, laughing.

"Way too fucking much," said Rosalie, sounding angry.

Bella laughed again and watched as Edward walked to the fridge to grab himself a beer.

"What about you, Bella? Do you want anything?" Rosalie asked.

"Umm...Do they have anything non-alcoholic?" Bella said, shyly.

"I'm pretty sure they have water or coke or something," Jasper said, looking around.

"Yeah, water's fine," Bella said, shrugging her shoulders.

Rosalie went to grab an unused plastic cup but when she opened the fridge she realized there was no water.

"They don't have any bottled water in here, is tap water okay?"

"No!" Bella and Edward both responded loudly.

Rosalie immediately froze and just stared at them both.

Bella caught herself and recovered quickly. "Sorry, Rosalie. I'll just have a coke."

Rosalie nodded and got Bella her drink while Edward returned to her side, fastening his arm back around her waist. Bella breathed a sigh of relief until Jessica came to talk to Edward.

"Hi Edward," she purred.

Jessica was wearing a low cut pink tank top with a short black skirt and her hair was left down in big curls. Bella and Edward shared a sly smile and they both laughed at Edward's earlier description since he had gotten it spot on. Edward thought she looked ridiculous but he said hello out of politeness.

"Hi Jessica. How are you?"

"I'm great! I'm so glad you came! You look really good," she said while sliding her hand down his chest.

"Thank you," he said, averting his gaze down to Bella.

"Do you want to dance?" she asked excitedly.

"Um...no not right now. Sorry."

"Okay...later then?" she asked, pushing her breasts into his arm.

Edward half nodded while she sauntered away, wiggling her hips. Rosalie laughed while Alice's face scrunched up in disgust.

"Good God she is gross," Alice said.

"And so persistent. I thought she was over you, Edward. She was all over Mike at the last party," Rosalie said.

"Yeah cause Edward wasn't there. Also, Mike isn't paying any attention to her because he's too busy looking for you, Bella," Emmett said with a wink.

Bella rolled her eyes and Edward tightened his grip on her waist.

As the night wore on, the four friends mingled and joked while Bella watched as girl after girl approached Edward asking him to dance with them. After continuously turning them down, she finally begged him to go join them.

"Edward, please go dance with them. One dance and you'll make them all happy," Bella said.

"Bella, I don't want to dance with them. It's torturous spending even a second with them. Plus they're all drunk and they're going to be all grabby. And, more importantly, I don't want to leave you alone."

"I'll be fine, Edward. I'll hang out here with these guys. Just give them one dance and they won't bother you anymore."

Edward was reluctant but when Bella looked up at him with her big brown eyes, muttering, "Please, Edward? For me?" he decided to go.

"One song. I'll be back in two minutes, okay?" Edward said, hugging her.

Bella chuckled. "I don't need you that badly, Edward."

Edward smiled and walked toward Jessica and Lauren who were dancing sloppily with each other.

As Edward joined his classmates on the dance floor, he constantly kept looking up, making sure Bella was okay. Bella kept watching him, smiling and laughing but her smile quickly fell when Jessica went to wrap her arms around his neck. Bella watched from a distance as Jessica sidled up to Edward, running her hands over his entire body and Bella suddenly hated the fact that she told Edward to go dance. Bella was eyeballing Jessica and her disgusting low cut top and her big curls. Not being able to watch any longer, she quickly turned her head away from the pair.

Edward was not enjoying Jessica's hands all over him but when he overheard Bella's name being tossed around in a conversation between Tyler Crowley and Eric Yorkie, his mind wandered, paying more attention to what they were saying about the girl he had sworn to protect. He walked away from Jessica, leaving her standing there with an annoyed look on her face. He stealthily walked closer to where the two boys were standing so he could hear what they were saying.

"Bella Swan man...she's so fucking hot. Have you seen her tonight? That tight black t-shirt. Mmm," Tyler said.

"I know. If only Edward would step away from her for like a second I could go talk to her," Eric said.

"Mike said he's going to show her on a 'tour'," Tyler said, laughing.

"Fucking Mike. He doesn't stand a chance. But fuck is she ever hot. Those eyes and that ass," Eric said.

Edward was fuming as he suddenly wanted to beat both Tyler and Eric to smithereens. What he failed to notice however, was Mike Newton slowly making his way over to Bella, convincing her to follow him on a tour of the house. As Bella agreed, she followed him around until he eventually led her upstairs toward the bedrooms.

"I really like the colour of the walls," she said, as she walked up the stairs.

"Yeah. Green is my mom's favourite color. I kind of hate it," he said.

"Green is my favourite color too," she said shyly, thinking of Edward's eyes.

The thought of Edward reminded her that she probably should have let him know she was with Mike but then she figured Jessica would be keeping him busy for a little longer.

"Well, this is my parents room, this is the bathroom," Mike said as he pointed to various doors. "And, this is my bedroom."

Mike opened the door, leading her in but as soon as she stepped foot into his bedroom, she'd known she'd made a mistake. Mike slowly closed the door then, dimming the lights.

"I'm going to go back downstairs, Mike," Bella said, trying to make her way past him.

Mike gently stopped her. "What's the rush, Bella? There's so much noise down there. Here's a quiet place we could talk."

"Edward's going to want to know where I am. I have to go back down." Bella once again made a move to leave the room but Mike pulled her back, forcing her to sit down on her bed.

"I thought you two weren't dating?" Mike asked.

"Well, we're not but he still likes to know where I am," Bella said.

"That sounds annoying. You can't do anything without making sure Edward says it's okay?"

"No, it's not like that," Bella said. She huffed then in annoyance, not wanting to explain to Mike Newton her situation with Edward.

"Alright, you're right. I'm sorry. But I really like you, Bella. You're really pretty and I want to get to know you better," Mike said, slowly leaning toward her.

Meanwhile downstairs, Edward walked around eagerly searching for Bella. Rose and Alice had no idea where she'd gone and as Edward moved around the first floor, checking all bathrooms and even searching outside, he couldn't find her. When he spotted Emmett and Jasper, they told him the last place they saw her was in the kitchen, talking to Mike.

Edward felt the worry escalate to a whole new level and as soon as his eyes made contact with the stair case leading upstairs, he ran. He bolted up the stairs, taking them two at a time, throwing open every door he passed by. When there was no sign of Bella, he began to panic. When Edward looked up, he spotted the door at the end of the hallway and when he approached it, he heard the commotion inside.

"Mike, let go of me, I'm going back downstairs," Bella cried from within.

The second Edward heard her voice, he whipped the door open. What he walked in on made his whole body freeze. Bella and Mike were both sitting on the bed in the room, Mike leaning over Bella's body, his hand gripping her thigh. The second Edward's eyes connected with Mike's hand, he sprung into action.

Charging at Mike, Edward grabbed him off Bella, forced him into the hallway, swiftly punching him square in the jaw. Not taking the time to scream at Mike, Edward ran back into the room noticing Bella breathing heavily in the same spot. He immediately slammed the door shut, locking it, and lifting her from the bed to move into an empty corner of the room. The second he had her situated, he pushed his body against hers, cornering her and whispering in her ear that everything was going to be okay.

Bella was suddenly surrounded with Edward's scent. She could feel him and hear him and suddenly nothing else mattered. She wrapped her arms tightly around his chest and buried her face in his neck, inhaling his perfect smell and letting herself relax.

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_June 8__th__...June 8__th__... June 8__th__..._

_Neither Bella nor Edward had any idea how the current date ended up being Monday, June 8__th__. They both tried to think back to the last time they saw their families, not understanding how that much time could have passed by. Bella knew the exact date she had been kidnapped. It was May 5__th__. Neither of them understood how it had been over a month._

_Time passed by slowly and unexcitedly. Bella had been accustomed to kidnappings in movies and TV shows where the kidnaper would sit by the victim's side day in and day out, watching every move they made. This was completely different. She didn't understand how he could just leave them sitting there all day long._

_He never wanted anything from them. He merely wanted them in his house. Bella had her measly food, her water, she had bi-weekly showers while supervised by Edward, but never anything else. Part of her felt like she had it easy but another part felt like she had it worse. She didn't know what he wanted from her. She didn't know why he took her, why he tied her to his basement floor, why he kept her there barely fed and barely cleansed._

_As they both sat in silence, side by side, staring at the newspaper in front of them, their minds were working on overdrive._

_The headline read: __**Doctor Cullen Wired with Worry as Chief Swan Attempts the Un-Attemptable**_

_The article went on to describe that Doctor Carlisle Cullen's son, Edward Cullen, had gone missing on the night of April 25th after staying at school late one night. Teachers had recalled saying goodbye to Edward but that was the last time he had been seen by anyone. The article also stated that Chief Swan was doing everything he could to find the boy but he currently has his own misfortune to worry over - the alleged kidnapping of his daughter, Isabella Swan, over in Phoenix, Arizona._

_Bella and Edward had been staring at both the date and the article for what felt like hours. As they read the article over a dozen times, Bella furrowed her brows in confusion._

"_You're from Forks?" Bella asked suddenly._

"_You're from Arizona?" Edward countered back._

_Bella had assumed this whole time that Edward was from Phoenix while Edward had assumed she was from Forks._

"_You're Carlisle's son?" Bella asked, dumbfounded._

"_You're the Chiefs daughter?" Edward retaliated._

"_This is unbelievable," Bella cried. "So...then...where are we? Phoenix or Forks?" _

"_We're definitely in Forks. This is the Forks daily paper...so...we have to be..."_

"_How did I get here?" Bella said worriedly. "I was in Phoenix, on my way to school and he...took me...but how did he get me all the way back here? He couldn't have taken a plane with my body!"_

_A flicker of remembrance flashed in front of Edward's eyes as he remembered the days leading up to Bella's kidnapping._

"_What's wrong?" Bella asked, noticing his sudden change in facial expression._

"_He drove," Edward said, suddenly remembering. "He was gone for like a week and a half making preparations and stuff. I had been tied like you are now and he knew I would die if he left me alone, tied up for over a week, so he let me free. He told me where the food was, where the laundry was, and he kept me down here. Remember, I told you that he told me he was going to get you. He told me that I would have a friend but I had no idea he was going all the way to Arizona to get you."_

"_Oh my God," Bella whispered, feeling the tears falling down her cheeks. "How was I unconscious that whole time? I only remember being in the subway, and then waking up here. Wait a minute...you said you couldn't remember how long you'd been here for. It says here you went missing the night of April 25__th__, you don't remember how?"_

"_No," Edward said quietly. "I don't remember anything. I don't even remember being at school late. I've only been here a week and a half longer than you. It...it felt like so much longer. That week was...God...it was horrible. I don't remember the last time I cried but Bella...that week...I cried every day. Bella...I hate that I have to say this...but...I'm actually happy you're here with me. How sick is that?"_

_The tears were still streaming down Bella's face but she understood what he was telling her because she felt the same way. She knew the situation would be a million times worse if they weren't facing it together. She knew if she had been alone the past month she would have felt twice as scared. Edward brought a soothing presence to their situation._

"_Edward, I know what you mean. If I were here alone...God...I...I don't even want to think about it."_

_Edward nodded slowly as they both sat in silence, staring at the paper in front of them._

"_Bella, maybe this is a good thing. They put it in the paper which means people will be looking for us now. Everyone is aware and I mean, Forks is a small town, everyone knows my dad and Chief Swan...which, by the way, I can't believe is your dad. You must really look like your mom, cause you got none of the chief."_

"_Edward, they're looking for _you_! They think I'm in Phoenix! They'll never put two and two together!"_

"_Bella, calm down. Even so, when they find me, they find you!"_

"_But what if my dad is only searching in Phoenix? He's too preoccupied with my disappearance that he's not focussing enough on yours! What a disaster! I can't believe we're actually in Forks!"_

"_What does this mean though?" Edward wondered._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Well, why us? Why me from Forks and you from Arizona? Our kidnappings were clearly planned which means he purposely wanted the two of us," Edward said, his eyes moving across the room trying to find an answer to his many questions._

"_Maybe something with our dads... since they're both from Forks?"_

"_Maybe...I can see him having some issues with your dad," Edward said._

_When Bella frowned at him he continued._

"_I mean, he's the chief of police you know? I'm sure there are a whole bunch of people that have, at one point or another, hated him. But my dad is a surgeon. Not many people have anything bad to say about Carlisle - especially no one from Forks. But actually, Chief Swan is pretty praised too. So that means – "_

"_He's not from Forks," Bella said, finishing Edward's sentence._

_Edward sighed, looking up at Bella. The worry clouded over Bella's features as she brought her knees up to her chest, attempting to cradle herself. When Edward saw her fear, he slowly inched closer to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder._

"_If he's not from Forks then we can't be sure we're even in Forks right now," Bella whispered._

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**Thank you again to everyone who is reading. I really hope you liked this chapter. **

**Reviews get teasers to Chapter 7 - Edward vs. Mike**


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

As always, many thanks to my amazing beta **SabLuvsLogan**

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_**PREVIOUSLY**_

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_The second Edward heard her voice, he whipped the door open. What he walked in on made his whole body freeze. Bella and Mike were both sitting on the bed in the room, Mike leaning over Bella's body, his hand gripping her thigh. The second Edward's eyes connected with Mike's hand, he sprung into action._

_Charging at Mike, Edward grabbed him off Bella, forced him into the hallway, swiftly punching him square in the jaw. Not taking the time to scream at Mike, Edward ran back into the room noticing Bella breathing heavily in the same spot. He immediately slammed the door shut, locking it, and lifting her from the bed to move into an empty corner of the room. The second he had her situated, he pushed his body against hers, cornering her and whispering in her ear that everything was going to be okay._

_Bella was suddenly surrounded with Edward's scent. She could feel him and hear him and suddenly nothing else mattered. She wrapped her arms tightly around his chest and buried her face in his neck, inhaling his perfect smell and letting herself relax._

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**Chapter 7**

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When Edward was certain Bella had calmed down, he whisked her away from Mike Newton's bedroom and even further away from his home. Once they were safely in the confines of her bedroom, he wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could and began muttering his apologies.

"Jesus Christ Bella, you have no idea how sorry I am. This night was such a fucking disaster. I had no idea I had to keep my eye on you in fear of something actually happening. I thought I was just being cautious."

Edward started pacing Bella's bedroom then with his head in his hands as Bella sat on her bed watching him.

"Edward, stop. It was my fault. I shouldn't have followed him on his stupid tour," she said, shaking her head.

"Why did you follow him, Bella? A teenage boy asks you to follow him to his bedroom? You have to know the only thing he's thinking of is sex," Edward said, frustrated.

Bella couldn't believe herself. She couldn't believe she managed to put herself in the exact same situation she swore she would never get into again – alone, helpless, and once again, in need of Edward.

"I don't know, Edward," Bella whispered. "He told me he just wanted to talk to me, to get to know me and he asked me if I wanted to see the house and I didn't want to be rude so I just followed him and then he started going up the stairs and I didn't even realize because the walls were the same colour as your eyes and the next thing I knew we were in his bedroom and I wanted to leave but he didn't want me to and then I was on his bed with his hand on my leg."

Bella was shaking her head and looking down at her hands as she rambled on, embarrassed. Edward didn't want her to think he was angry with her so he lowered his voice.

"I told you I would protect you and the first chance I get to truly show you that nothing bad would ever happen to you again, I let my guard down. I'm so fucking sorry." Edward dropped to his knees by Bella's bed then, taking her left hand in his. "Bella, I promise I won't ever let anything like that happen again, okay? I swear to you. Never again will you feel what he made you feel tonight."

Bella nodded slowly before gently brushing her right hand across his forehead, moving the hair back away from his eyes. "Thank you, Edward but please stop apologizing. It wasn't your fault. I'm pretty sure Mike was just drunk and didn't really realize what he was doing."

"No, Bella. He better run the next time he sees me. I could have killed him tonight. If I knew you were okay and you didn't need me in that exact second, I think I would have killed him. He deserved much more than a single punch to the face."

"Edward, please. He knew you were angry. You don't have to do anything else. I'm pretty sure you scared him enough tonight."

"No I didn't. What kind of idiot forces a girl into his bedroom and then doesn't let her leave when she wants? Ugh! Mike fucking Newton! I knew it! I knew I had to watch out for him. He kept watching you and talking to you and waiting for me to leave so he could approach you and fuck!"

Edward was seething and Bella was getting worried. "Edward, please calm down. You're going to wake my dad up," Bella pleaded.

Edward took a deep breath and started to calm himself down. "Let's just go to bed, okay?" he said after a moment.

Bella gave him a small smile as she exited the room to get ready for bed. She changed into her pyjamas, washed her face and brushed her teeth and returned to her bedroom. Edward then did his nightly routine and when they were both ready for bed, they settled themselves on her hardwood floor, grabbing pillows and blankets.

"Goodnight, Bella," Edward said as he turned onto his side, his back to Bella.

"Goodnight, Edward," Bella said, assuming the same position as Edward.

Bella eventually fell asleep but Edward stayed wide awake. He couldn't believe how reckless he'd been. He couldn't believe he'd allowed Bella to have to face that situation. He knew the type of party it was and that even if someone saw Bella walking up those stairs with Mike, no one would have stopped them except for him. He couldn't count on anybody, not even his four best friends, to watch over her the way he would.

When Bella's alarm went off the following morning, Edward rolled over groaning, knowing that the mere two hours of sleep he managed to get was not going to be enough to sustain him for the whole day. As he got up and folded his blankets, he said goodbye to Bella and headed home to shower, change, and get ready for the day.

Bella spent her Saturday alternating between homework, laundry, and lounging around with Charlie. At three o'clock she decided to call her mother – as she did every Saturday – and they spent an hour on the phone talking about their week. Bella usually censored her week with her mother since Renee was known for overreacting, but it always felt great talking to her.

Renee always asked her daughter about the cute boys in school and Bella would sigh and roll her eyes, informing her mother that no boy had yet to catch her eye.

Renee would next ask about Edward and Bella would go on and on about how great he was.

Before hanging up, Bella would tell her mom how much she missed her but how certain she was that Forks was the right place for her. Bella would always sigh in nostalgia after getting off the phone with Renee. She missed her mother deeply and their weekly phone calls reminded her of that fact tenfold.

Edward was aware that Bella was busy between three and four o'clock on Saturdays but he also knew that every time she hung up the phone after that, she felt sad. He therefore phoned Bella every Saturday at a quarter after four to ensure she was okay. He knew she couldn't talk to Charlie so if she felt the need to unload, he was there for her.

"Hello?" Bella said answering the phone with a smile, knowing full well who was on the other line.

When Bella assured Edward that she was fine, he told her what the plans were for the evening. Alice had invited them over for a relaxing night at her place and Edward asked Bella if she wanted to go. After agreeing, Edward let her know that he would be picking her up around 6:30.

When Edward and Bella rang the doorbell to Alice's home later that night, she opened the door and greeted them with a hug.

"Hey!" she sang.

"Hi," Bella said with a grin, genuinely happy to see Alice.

Bella had grown to really enjoy both Alice's and Rose's company. They had included her in their conversations and never made her feel uncomfortable. Bella had never had real girlfriends back in Phoenix and after knowing Alice and Rosalie for merely a week, she already felt closer to them than any of her old friends.

As they walked into the basement where Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper were already lying lazily on the floor and on the couches, they greeted everyone with a wave.

"Hey guys," Edward said, descending the stairs.

"Edward!" Emmett bellowed. "Where did you guys go yesterday? You were there and then you weren't."

Edward and Bella hadn't felt like discussing what had happened at Mike's so they shrugged their shoulders.

"We got tired so we left. We couldn't find you guys to say bye," Edward said.

The four friends shrugged their shoulders and returned to what they were doing. They spent the night talking and watching movies and taking it easy since most of them were still recovering from Mike's party.

At around 12:30, Bella had fallen asleep with her head on Edward's lap as he stroked her hair soothingly.

"You realize just how much you two look like a real couple, right?" Jasper whispered beside him.

Edward looked down at Bella's sleeping form and smiled. "I know. I really don't do it on purpose though. It just comes naturally..."

"Do you like her?" Jasper asked.

"I don't think about her like that...but..." Edward started, struggling for words.

"You really care about her, eh?"

"So much. I seriously don't know what I would do without her. I think about being away from her and I just...I can't explain it, man...I just...she deserves so much and I want to give her everything and I don't know why," Edward whispered back.

Jasper gave Edward a small smile before nodding and turning back toward the TV. As Bella shifted on his lap he decided to wake her up to take her home to bed.

"Bella," he said, still stroking her hair but shaking her shoulder at the same time. Her eyes slowly drifted open then as they zeroed in on Edward's face.

"Hi," she said with a small smile.

"Morning," Edward said smirking.

"Where am I?" she asked looking around.

Edward chuckled. "We're at Alice's. You fell asleep but we're going home now."

Edward helped Bella up then and they headed back to Edward's where he dropped off his car and the two walked to Bella's together. Once getting to her house, Bella unlocked the front door as the two tip-toed into her bedroom, hearing Charlie's loud snores from the bedroom at the other end of the hall.

"I never noticed how loud your dad snores," Edward whispered.

Bella chuckled before closing the door to her bedroom. As soon as Edward's head hit the pillow, he was out cold. He had gotten a measly two hours of sleep the previous night and since he had been able to calm himself down throughout the day, he was able to get a full night's sleep Saturday night.

Sunday morning, after Edward had gone home, Bella went downstairs to have breakfast with her father.

"Morning, Bells. How was Alice's last night?" Charlie asked, sipping at his coffee.

"It was good. It was relaxing. She has a beautiful home," Bella said, grabbing a bowl of cereal.

"Yeah. The Brandon's are fairly well off," Charlie said.

After breakfast, Bella settled herself down at the kitchen table doing homework all day while Charlie rotated between sitting with her and watching TV until she had to get ready for her appointment with Dr Aro.

Their appointment that evening hadn't gone any better than the first two but Edward and Bella no longer cared. They made the decision to simply wait until Dr Aro got fed up with them so they could stop scheduling appointments.

When Bella woke up Monday morning, she was momentarily worried what would happen with Mike at school. She hoped Edward wouldn't do anything rash but she was still nervous over what would happen if the two would run into each other.

When Edward picked her up for school, he noticed how nervous she was.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Can you promise me you won't make a scene with Mike today?"

Edward paused and stared straight ahead.

"Edward, promise me," she said, firmly.

"Bella, I can't do that. I don't know what's going to happen."

Bella huffed and turned away from him.

"Bella, I don't want to break a promise, okay? I'll promise to try and control myself but I don't know how I'm going to react when I see him."

Edward's anger had abated since Friday night but he knew he wouldn't be able to control himself and he really didn't want to break a promise to Bella.

As Edward was standing by Bella's locker, waiting for her to gather her books, Mike Newton approached slowly.

"Um...Hi Bella," Mike said nervously.

Bella tensed not in fear of Mike himself but in fear of the rage behind Edward's eyes. Mike saw Edward's change in emotion and decided to explain himself.

"Look, Edward, I'm really sorry... " Mike started.

"Mike," Edward said calmly. "Get the fuck away from here."

"Edward, please. Let me explain. I was drunk. I didn't know what I was doing. I never intended to scare her or hurt her or do anything. Bella, I'm so sorry," he said, gently grabbing her wrist.

Edward grabbed him immediately and pulled him away from her.

"Bella, we'll be right back," Edward said through clenched teeth while grabbing Mike by the jacket and pulling him away.

"Edward!" Bella cried, not wanting him to hurt him.

Edward whisked Mike away, out the front doors and pushed him against the brick wall, pinning him there.

"If you ever fucking touch her again, I'll kill you. You have no idea the shit we've been through and do not doubt it, not even for a fucking second that I would think twice before killing you. I don't care what you intended to do with her. I don't care that you were drunk or that she voluntarily followed you up the stairs to your bedroom. I don't give a shit about anything except for the fact that she wanted to leave and you wouldn't let her. So I'm saying this once and I will not say it again. Stay. The fuck. Away. From her."

Edward was seething as he trapped Mike against the wall, yelling in his face. He was drawing a crowd around him and was only able to let Mike go once Emmett ripped him away from the poor boy.

"Whoa there dude, calm down," Emmett said, pinning Edward's arms around him.

The second Mike was free from Edward's grasp, he took off running.

"Ha! Look at him run," Emmett bellowed.

"He's a fucking shit!" Edward yelled, struggling against Emmett's hold.

"Edward man, you need to calm down. What the fuck happened?" Emmett asked.

"Newton dragged Bella upstairs to his bedroom during the party and I found them. They were on his bed and he had his fucking disgusting hand on her leg and she was telling him she wanted to go back downstairs and he wasn't listening to her. Fuck! When a girl says she wants to not be in your bedroom you fucking let her go! Who keeps her there?" Edward was angry again.

"Umm...like every single guy...ever," Emmett said.

Edward glared at him.

"What? It's true. Girls always need a little convincing. Dude, come on, he was obviously drunk and you two have been telling everyone you're not dating so he knew she was single. He was just trying to cop a feel or something."

Edward felt the jealousy churn in his stomach because it was not okay that Mike was trying to convince Bella to stay. It was not okay that he was trying to 'cop a feel'. It wasn't okay because Edward didn't want anyone touching Bella like that.

Edward took in a deep breath and when he lifted his eyes he noticed Bella standing close by. He strongly hoped she hadn't seen the way he'd reacted to Mike, but she had.

"I'm sorry," he said as he approached her.

"It's fine Edward I just...I hate that you're getting into fights because I'm too stupid to protect myself," she said, looking down at her feet.

"That's not the reason, Bella. He shouldn't have...he can't just..." Edward let out a large sigh trying to wrap his head around the situation. He placed his finger under her chin then, lifting her head up. "He needs to know that it's not okay for him to touch you. Never mind touch you just be around you or talk to you or even look at you. I don't want him anywhere remotely close to you."

"Edward, you're being crazy. We go to the same school. We're obviously going to see each other. He's in like...a lot of my classes. He was just drunk..."

"Why are you defending him?" Edward said, cutting her off.

"I'm not defending him but we both know what it's like when you're drunk and you don't know what you're doing. He wasn't intentionally trying to hurt me. Can you please try and understand that? It's hard enough for me already with all these new students and everyone thinks we're dating but we're not. Nobody understands where I came from or why I'm here or why everyone is suddenly interested in me..." Bella took a deep breath. "You can't add this on my shoulders. Can't we just pretend like nothing happened and Mike made a little mistake?"

Edward let out large sigh. He understood why she hadn't wanted him to make a scene but he couldn't have stopped himself even if he tried. He needed to get his point across to Mike and that was the only way he could have done so successfully.

"Yeah...okay. I'm sorry...let's just...let's just get you to class," Edward said softly.

All morning Bella watched Mike coward away from her. She watched as he walked around the entire classroom in order to take his seat behind her. She watched as he looked at everyone and everything around the room when he had to pass a handout down to her. She watched as he waited until she got up and out of the room before leaving. When she had finally had enough, she decided to approach him.

"Mike," she said, calling to him. When he quickened his pace instead of turning around, she decided to run after him.

"Mike!" she called again. She finally caught up to him and grabbed him by the arm.

"Mike! Stop running away from me." His eyes were dancing looking at the floor then the ceiling then the wall behind her head. "Mike, please stop avoiding me. I know Edward told you to stay away but I realize it was just an accident this weekend at your place and I'm not mad."

He looked at her then. "You do? Oh thank God! Bella God I'm so sorry. I was so wasted. Like so unbelievably wasted and Tyler was all 'hey you should ask her on a tour then bring her to your room' and Eric was all 'that'll never work' and I was all 'fuck you both, I'm going to talk to her'. And then you actually followed me on a tour and you actually came into my bedroom and I don't know. God just please tell Edward that I'm sorry and I didn't mean to do anything." He placed both his hands on her shoulder then, shaking her lightly. "Please, Bella! You have to make sure he believes how sorry..."

"HEY!"

Mike was cut off by Edward's booming voice. Bella quickly turned around and saw Edward running towards them. She sighed and rolled her eyes as Edward grabbed her away from Mike's hold and tightened his grip around her waist.

"What did I tell you?" he spat in Mike's face.

"What did _I_ tell _you_?" Bella spat, looking directly in Edward's eyes.

"Bella, you can't expect me not to do anything or say anything..."

"Edward, he was apologizing! _I_ approached _him_, okay? He's been avoiding me like the plague all morning and I hate it. So Mike apologized to me, he's going to apologize to you now and all will be good," Bella said, looking at Mike, nodding her head toward Edward.

Mike stared back at her not understanding that she wanted him to apologize to Edward.

"Now is when you apologize, Mike," Bella said.

"Right! Edward, I'm so sorry. It'll never happen again, I promise," Mike said.

Edward rolled his eyes. "It fucking better not ever happen again, Mike. And if it does you'll get much more than just one punch to the face."

Mike nodded nervously. "Okay," he said, gulping.

As the three of them stood there awkwardly, Edward got annoyed. "You can leave now, Mike."

Mike immediately turned and ran away.

Bella chuckled and turned to look at Edward. "Big macho man," she teased, grasping his biceps.

"I'm still not happy," Edward muttered.

Bella smiled up at him. "I know you're not but thank you for accepting his apology," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"You're so difficult! I should be angry with you but I can't. Your eyes and your...you," he said, pointing form her head to toes and back, "just force me to smile," he said

Bella laughed and blushed. "I know. It's a gift. Are you jealous?"

They walked into the cafeteria then, both smiling. Edward's arm was wrapped around Bella's shoulder as her arms were wrapped around his waist. He was smiling down at her as her head was lying lightly on his chest.

"Well don't you two look cozy," Alice said smiling as they approached their usual lunch table.

Edward shook his head and released Bella as she sat down. "I'm going to get food," he said before walking away.

"So, Bella, how does it feel do have half the Forks High population be insanely jealous of you?" Rosalie asked.

"What?" Bella asked, not understanding what Rosalie was saying.

"Take a look for yourself," she said, pointing around her.

Bella lifted her head and watched as girl after girl was sitting, slack-jawed, staring at Bella. For a brief moment it felt like the entire cafeteria full of students had stopped to stare at her.

"Why are they staring at me?" Bella asked, shyly.

"Darlin', you just walked into the cafeteria in Edward's arms. They all hate you," Jasper said, smiling.

"I don't understand," Bella said.

"Oh, Bella, don't you see it?" Alice started. "Edward is like...the prize of all prizes. He's smart and gorgeous and every girl in this room would kill just to have him look their way. You stroll in here with your arms wrapped around his waist and he's smiling about it and you expect them not to dislike you, even a little bit?"

"Edward is...the prize of all prizes? I don't know what that means," Bella said confused.

"They all want to fuck him, that's what it means," Rosalie said, bluntly.

Bella was taken aback by her answer. "Well...why don't they like...talk to him or something?"

"They've all tried but he's never given anyone the time of day. Edward's never had a girlfriend because no one is good enough for him. They all try too hard," Alice said.

"The little fucker can get laid by a different girl everyday if he wanted to," Emmett said, sloppily biting into his sandwich.

"Watch your language and fucking eat properly, idiot," Rosalie said, throwing him a napkin.

Emmett grinned and Jasper laughed.

Bella tried to smile but immediately felt the pressures of guilt clouding over. Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice were always talking about sex and she couldn't help the feeling that she was holding Edward back from truly enjoying his senior year of high school. She wondered if she had been the reason why Edward wasn't going after any of these girls. She wanted him to be free to do whatever he wanted but she also wanted him by her side at all times.

"Anyways," Alice explained. "All that to say, that all these girls have been trying to get Edward to do what he just did with you with them for a very long time. After a while they just realized that he wasn't available as boyfriend material and they decided to back off. Unless they're drunk...then they try even harder. So when they see The Edward Cullen driving you to and from school, walking you from class to class, smiling and laughing with you, wrapping his arms around you, they get a little jealous."

"Especially Jessica Stanley over there," Rosalie said, pointing over her shoulder. "That girl has been trying to sleep with Edward while trying to date Mike Newton so now she really hates you. You got both men she's been craving without really doing anything."

"What are you guys talking about?" Edward asked as he approached the table with two trays full of food."

"How fuckable you are, Eddie," Jasper said, winking at him.

"Fuck you, Jasper. And what?" he asked while sliding Bella's tray over to her.

"We were just telling Bella how everyone in the room wants to fuck you, Edward," Rosalie said, smiling and chewing on a carrot stick.

Edward scrunched his eyebrows. "Don't listen to anything they say, Bella," Edward said, popping a fry into his mouth.

Bella smiled awkwardly but couldn't get the image of all the girls in the cafeteria staring at her, giving her dirty looks.

"So what are we doing this weekend, guys?" Alice asked, bouncing in her seat.

"This weekend is Bella's birthday," Edward said, nudging Bella's shoulder and grinning.

"Edward!" Bella whined. "You weren't supposed to tell anyone," she muttered under her breath.

"It's your birthday?" Alice exclaimed.

Bella stared at Alice as she was clapping her hands while grinning.

"Alice tends to get a little too excited for people's birthdays," Jasper said, smiling and trying to tame his girlfriend.

"Oh my God! This is going to be so great! Can I plan a party? Edward, can we have it at your house? Your house is the best for parties. We can open up your family room, and move the furniture to turn it into a dance floor. We can invite the whole senior class and you'll get so many presents! Oh, I can't wait!"

"Um...Alice, I would kind of rather if we didn't have a party. I'm not big on the whole being celebrated and center of attention thing," Bella said, nervously.

"No party? Well can we at least do something just the six of us?" Alice asked, pleading.

Bella watched as Alice lifted her hands in prayer and batted her eyelashes before finally agreeing.

"Fine, we can do something just the six of us but something small. And no presents."

"Yay!" Alice exclaimed while getting up, rounding the table and giving Bella a big hug.

**

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**

:::

* * *

_The reality of the situation they were facing became all the more pressing as Bella realized she probably wasn't in Phoenix and Edward realized he probably wasn't in Forks. _

_Throughout the day, they both attempted to entertain each other with meaningless conversation but somehow the situation had shifted since they now had no idea where they were. _

_They had both become restless._

_The same day they got the newspaper that informed them of the date, they decided to make their very own calendar. They didn't know when they would get their hands on another newspaper so they decided to start a system that would allow them to keep track of the days of the week._

_In one of the old boxes, Edward found a stack of post-its and Bella found a permanent marker. On the first sheet they wrote out June 8__th__ and decided on an appropriate system of changing the post-it so they could keep track of time. _

"_Alright, so every night he brings us supper, right?" Edward said._

"_Right. So let's assume that he brings us supper every night at..."_

"_6:30," Edward finished._

"_Okay. So whenever we fall asleep after that meal, we'll figure that that's us going to bed for the night," Bella said._

"_Perfect. So whenever we wake up from that, we'll figure that that's a new day."_

"_Yeah, so whoever wakes up first, will change the date on the post-it," Bella said._

"_Perfect!" Edward said smiling._

_Edward and Bella had figured that their plan was flawless. They figured that they'd now be able to track time and know exactly when day turned to night. What they hadn't expected were the side effects. Bella and Edward were now forced to watch as day after day passed uneventfully. They watched as June 8__th__ turned to June to 9__th__, to June 10__th__, and so on, neither of them being able to do anything to help their situation._

_As day became night, Edward and Bella sat together trying to figure out their predicament. They spoke for hours about how they had ended up where they were. They discussed different reasoning's and what their parents were currently doing to help them. They had come to the conclusion that the man wasn't from Forks but he definitely had some sort of problem with their father's. They tried to think of how the two could be related but there were simply too many options._

"_It could be anything," Bella said. "My dad could have given him a ticket or arrested him. Your dad could have refused him a prescription. Maybe he just hates doctors and cops."_

"_Maybe. But it has to be something bigger than that. He must want something. Maybe he sent them a ransom or something. My dad is loaded but...yours isn't." Edward huffed in annoyance. "Every time I think of something, I think of something else that proves it false. This is so frustrating."_

_Edward started pulling at his hair as he quickly shot his head up with a new idea._

"_What?" Bella asked, noticing his change in emotion._

"_He leaves the house. All the time. The next time he leaves, we'll go upstairs and we'll snoop around."_

"_Edward, it's too dangerous. Sometimes he leaves for only 10 minutes."_

"_That's all we need! Ten minutes every day is enough for us to gather information about where we are. Christ, there's got to be a phone up there or a computer or...anything,"_

"_He locks the door," Bella said._

"_I'll distract him. I'll do something, I don't know what but I'll do something and even if it is locked, we'll try and break through without it being noticed. Bella, we need to start doing something about this. We can't just stay here forever. I don't know what he's doing. He doesn't want anything from us. He's not torturing us, he stopped beating me, he never asks us questions or anything... We're just...here. We need to act now, together."_

_Edward was extremely frustrated and as he watched the days pass by, he realized that he couldn't sit around any longer. He needed Bella to agree with him so they could work together. If they could simply get access to the upstairs portion of the house then they could snoop around and gain more information. _

_Edward was eagerly awaiting Bella's response and when she looked up at him with a new glint in her eye, he knew he had her convinced._

"_Okay," Bella said. "Let's start planning."_

_

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_

**I kinda love this chapter. You guys all seem to love Sweetward so I'm trying to give you as much as I can. It'll only get better I can promise you that.**

**I haven't mentioned this but SabLuvsLogan made me a banner for this story so if you guys want to check it out...it's up on my profile.  
**

**Review for a teaser to Chapter 8.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

As always, many thanks to my amazing beta **SabLuvsLogan**

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PREVIOUSLY

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_"Um...Alice, I would kind of rather if we didn't have a party. I'm not big on the whole being celebrated and center of attention thing," Bella said, nervously._

_"No party? Well can we at least do something just the six of us?" Alice asked, pleading._

_Bella watched as Alice lifted her hands in prayer and batted her eyelashes before finally agreeing._

_"Fine, we can do something just the six of us but something small. And no presents."_

_"Yay!" Alice exclaimed while getting up, rounding the table and giving Bella a big hug._

**

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**

Chapter 8

* * *

Edward and Bella were working on a lab in biology class on Monday and were able to talk quietly amongst themselves while working. Since Bella had just agreed to let Alice throw her a party, Edward decided to make sure she knew what she had gotten herself into.

"You realize what you've done right?" Edward asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You allowed Alice to throw you a birthday party. I don't think you understand what that means," Edward said while chuckling and fiddling with the microscope.

"Why? I told her to keep it small. How extravagant could she go with just the six of us in your living room?" Bella asked.

"Oh Bella. With Alice, everything is extravagant. Even if it's just the six of us, that doesn't mean anything. That won't stop her. She's still going to rearrange my whole house and plan an entire night of events."

Bella stuck out her lower lip and pouted. Edward couldn't help but smile at her. He brought his hand up then and slowly caressed her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I should have warned you."

"All of this is your fault," she said. "I told you not to tell anyone it was my birthday but noooo. The first chance you get, you tell everyone!"

"Bella, these are your new friends. They need to know it's your birthday. And anyway, in my defence, what Alice would have done to me if I hadn't told her would have been much worse than whatever you're going to do to me which I'm pretty sure is nothing," Edward said and smirked.

Bella glared at him and suddenly got an idea. She put down her pen then and pushed her paper aside.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked.

"You're doing the lab all by yourself," she said smugly.

"Why?" Edward cried.

"This is your punishment. You shouldn't have told Alice and because you did, you need to figure all of this out on your own," she said, crossing her arms and leaning away from the table.

"Belllaaaaa!" Edward complained. "Come on, you know I have no idea what I'm doing. Pick up your pen."

"No."

"Bella, I'm sorry I told Alice," Edward said.

"Whatever," Bella said.

Edward groaned and Bella had to turn her head so Edward wouldn't see the small smile creep up on her face.

"You're smiling!" Edward said, poking her in the side.

Bella laughed as Edward continued to poke her. As the two of them once again got lost in the presence of the other, they were oblivious to the fact that the rest of the class was watching them interact. They watched while Bella squirmed as Edward tickled her and they watched as he hugged her to him in apology.

When Edward and Bella returned to their lab, the rest of the class did as well, legitimately wondering what was going on between Edward Cullen and the new girl.

Bella worried all week what would happen that weekend for her birthday and on Thursday, her worries were infinitely heightened. She had been sitting in the cafeteria with Rosalie and Alice, waiting for the boys to arrive, when they decided to bring up shopping, a task that Bella had no interest in.

"So, Bella. Rose and I wanted to propose an idea to you," Alice said, smiling.

"Okay, sure," Bella said, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Okay but we want you to keep an open mind, alright? Every year for our birthday we take each other out and we buy each other new clothes," Rosalie explained.

"Okay," Bella said slowly, waiting for more information.

"We usually buy each other one new pair of jeans, one new dress, three shirts, and two pairs of matching bras and underwear," Alice said.

"That's...nice..." Bella said.

"Well, now that you're hanging out with us...we thought we'd include you," Rosalie said.

"Include me in what?"

"Our yearly birthday shopping day," Rosalie said.

"Oh...wow. Yeah...that sounds great. Thanks for wanting to include me," Bellay said shyly.

Rosalie and Alice grinned and Bella smiled back.

"Hello, ladies," Emmett said as he plopped himself down on the seat next to Rose, throwing his arm over her shoulder and smiling at Bella and Alice.

"Hi Emmett," Alice said while laughing and Bella giggled.

When Edward sat down beside her she smiled again.

"Edward you really need to start bringing your own lunch," Bella said, looking at his tray.

"I know but that requires effort, Bella," Edward said, taking a bite of pizza.

"I'm sure if you asked your mom to make you a lunch she would do it for you, Edward," Rosalie said.

"Meh," Edward said, shrugging his shoulders and taking another bite of pizza.

* * *

On Saturday, when Edward rolled over, Bella was still asleep so he decided to wake her up. He gently lifted himself onto his elbows as he pushed the hair away from Bella's face.

"Bella, wakey wakey," he whispered.

Bella groaned and covered her face with her arm. Edward laughed.

"Wake up pretty lady. You have a fun day of shopping ahead of you," Edward said trying not to laugh but failing miserably.

"I don't feel good. I think I'm sick. I can't go," Bella said, rolling over and burying her face in her pillow.

Edward laughed again. When he had finally managed to get her up, she got ready and headed downstairs to let Charlie know she would be first heading to Edward's to spend the day with Alice and Rosalie and she would then spend the night with the rest of the gang.

At around eleven o'clock, Bella headed to Edward's where Alice and Rosalie would pick her up for their trip to the mall. She had been dreading the outing since Thursday and Edward knew how nervous she was but all he could do was laugh.

"What are you giggling about?" Bella said angrily as she sat herself down on Edward's front porch.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I just can't believe you agreed to go shopping with Alice _and_ Rosalie," he said, chuckling.

"Edward, I'm going to hit you soon. What was I supposed to do? They want to take me shopping for my birthday, I can't just say no to that."

"I know, it's just really funny," he said.

"Ugh! I hate you," she grumbled.

Edward cracked up again. "No you don't."

Although Bella was honored that Alice and Rosalie had decided to include her in their yearly birthday gift giving, she was still incredibly nervous as the two of them pulled into Edward's driveway with huge grins on their faces.

"Bella!" Alice sang. "Are you ready for our day of fun?"

Bella groaned but only Edward heard it as he laughed out loud.

"Yes," Bella said, putting a smile on her face.

"Awesome!" Rosalie called out from the front seat. "Hop in!"

Bella looked at Edward then, almost pleading with him to do anything for her not to go. Edward merely smiled at her. She pulled him into a snug hug then and as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, she whispered in his ear that he would pay for this later. Edward grinned and told her to have a great day.

* * *

"What about this one?" Alice asked holding up a bright red v-neck t-shirt.

Bella scrunched up her face and shook her head no. "I hate it," she said.

"What do you hate about it?" Alice screeched.

"It's really low cut and it's really bright. If you find it in black and I could wear a white tank top underneath then maybe," Bella said, placing the offending red shirt back on its rack.

"No! All you wear is black!" Alice complained.

"She likes black. Give her a break, Alice," said Rosalie.

Alice huffed and stomped away from them deciding to take matters into her own hands.

"Don't worry about her. She likes when people dress a certain way so if she's shopping for you she wants to buy what she wants and not what you want. Just let her do her thing," Rosalie said, looking through piles of jeans.

A few minutes later, Alice approached with a shopping cart full of clothes.

"Oh Bella!" she sang. "I found a few things. It's time to go try some clothes on."

Bella stared at the cart in front of her.

"Alice, where the fuck did you find a shopping cart?" Rosalie asked.

"Some guy had one so I asked him if I could borrow it. No big deal," Alice said.

"You were gone for like 5 minutes...I don't understand. How did you pick out all this stuff?" Bella asked worriedly glancing over the layers upon layers of clothing.

"I'm a pro, Bella. Now come on."

Alice led Bella toward the dressing rooms, pushing her into the closest one and throwing a pair of jeans and a top over the door.

"Try these on then come out so we can take a look," Alice called out.

Bella huffed in irritation but she knew the faster she got this over with the faster she would be able to see Edward. She slipped on the pair of jeans Alice had thrown over the door, struggling to get them over her hips.

"Alice, these are really tight!" she said, still struggling.

"Get used to it, Bella!" Alice called back.

Once they were finally on, she fastened the button and slipped on the navy blue v-neck t-shirt. As she stepped out of the dressing room, Alice and Rosalie smiled widely.

"Holy shit. She has boobs!" Rosalie exclaimed.

"And curves!" Alice said.

Bella suddenly felt self-conscious as she looked down at her chest. Because of the angle, she could see right down her shirt and she felt even more uncomfortable.

"I don't know about this..." Bella started.

"Bella! You're wearing jeans and a t-shirt, what aren't you sure about?" Alice yelled.

Bella smiled at Alice's annoyance and realized it really wasn't all that bad. The jeans were a little tighter than usual and the shirt was a little lower cut but it did show off her curves and she felt sexier than she had in the last couple months.

"Fine...I'll take these jeans and this shirt. Can we go now?" Bella asked.

"Ha! Bella we still have this whole cart to try on!" Alice said excitedly.

Bella slumped her shoulders as she returned to her dressing room trying on a multitude of jeans and tops.

After they had settled on a pair of jeans and two tops, it was time to move on to the dresses.

"You know, you guys really don't have to buy me a dress. It'll pretty much be a waste of money because I won't wear it like...ever," Bella explained.

"You're going to be wearing it tonight, to you party," Alice said, holding out different dresses of all different colors.

"I'm not having a party," Bella said.

"Not a big one. But we're still celebrating and we're all dressing up," Alice explained.

Bella huffed and walked back into the dressing room with an arm full of dresses. After trying on dress after dress she finally found one she was comfortable in and allowed them to buy it for her along with the jeans and t-shirts.

"Alright time to buy your some new underwear," Rosalie said. "The clothes are Alice's favourite part. But this is mine!"

Bella followed as Rosalie walked into the lingerie department.

"Alright, what color bras do you have so we can get you something different," Rosalie asked.

"Umm...I have a few white ones and umm...some grey ones..." Bella said, embarrassed.

Rosalie stared at her blankly.

"What?" she asked confused, her eyes darting from side to side.

"Oh God," Rosalie said, placing her hand on her heart.

"It's okay, Rose. It's okay. We'll just buy her more than two pairs," Alice said, trying to take hold of the situation.

"What's the matter?" Bella asked, watching as Rosalie ran away grabbing item after item.

"Well you see...Rosalie is like...how can I put this so you understand? You know what? There's no way to explain it. She just needs everyone to have very...um...alluring undergarments. In gym, while you go to the bathroom to change, Rosalie insults every girls taste in lingerie. Jessica Stanley so far has the worst," Alice said.

"Ookay..." Bella said.

"Yeah, so by you telling her you only own white and grey ones...that's like...I don't know...telling a child Santa doesn't exist? Or something like that," she started, waiting for Bella to understand. When Bella just stared straight ahead at her, Alice huffed in annoyance. "I can't explain it, Bella! She's just weird about bras and underwear!"

Rosalie returned then with her arms full of bras. When Bella noticed a woman standing behind her, she looked around Rosalie and noticed a sales lady standing near Rosalie with her arms full of what looked like underwear.

"Okay. This'll do for now. Off to the dressing rooms, Bella!" Rosalie said, the smile having returned to her face.

"How do you even know my size?" Bella said as Rosalie was pushing her from behind.

"Please, Bella. I'm a pro."

Bella rolled her eyes as Rosalie had given her the same response Alice had. She stepped into the changing room then and watched as Rosalie placed bra after bra on the hooks.

"Alright, so I got you some plain ones," she said, pointing to the first hook. "These are for day to day wear. You know, school and weekends and stuff. These here are for special occasions," she said, pointing to the second hook. "They're for fancy dinners and school dances and when you're wearing a dress or something like that. Now these here," she said pointing to the third and last hook. "These are for when you're trying to impress someone. A boy...like...Edward..."

Bella scowled at her and Rosalie grinned.

"I mean...what?" Rosalie said, smiling.

Bella rolled her eyes.

"Fine, not Edward...but a boy...any boy. When you want to look and feel sexy, you put on one of these."

Bella was eyeing the final hook as different colors of lace flashed before her eyes.

"Um...yeah. I'm not planning on impressing any boys any time soon so those won't be necessary," Bella said, waving her finger at the third hook.

"Not boys, Bella. Boy. Singular. These are saved for a special someone," Rosalie said, winking.

"I don't have a special someone," Bella said.

"Well...not right now you don't. But this is your senior year, baby. Who knows what'll happen," Rosalie said, smiling.

"But I don't want any of the boys from school to see me in something like...that," Bella said, pointing to the offending bras.

"Bella! There's got to be someone you like... Someone you wouldn't mind kissing... Someone you find cute and sweet?" Rosalie said.

Bella briefly thought about Edward then shook away that thought.

"Oh...what was that?" Alice exclaimed.

"Nothing," Bella said, shyly.

"There is a boy! Who? Tell us who!" Alice said.

Bella blushed a deep shade of red.

"Oh my God!" Alice said jumping up and down.

"Okay! Okay! She obviously doesn't want to talk about it. Just try this stuff on and decide what you like best. What's most comfortable and what you feel most...sexy...in," Rosalie said, winking.

Bella slowly walked into the changing room then. After closing the door, she removed her shirt and bra, and began trying on piece after piece. The bras on the first hook – the ones for everyday wear – were all very comfortable. The ones on the second hook – for special occasions – were not as comfortable but Bella was able to admit they were nice. She even had a hard time choosing between which ones she wanted and which she didn't. When she got to the third hook, she blushed just holding the first piece.

Bella held it up in front of her, inspecting it. It was a black corset with buttons going all the way down the front. She stared at it, not knowing how she would try it on. The next piece was similar to the first, only red. She looked over, piece after piece, feeling utterly embarrassed until she reached the final piece. The last one was an actual bra. It was midnight blue and made entirely of lace and when she looked it over, she found it pretty. She tried it on and realized that she loved it and like Rose said, it made her feel sexy.

Bella emerged from the dressing room then, holding out her selections.

"These are the ones I liked," Bella said. "Choose whichever ones you guys want to buy."

"These all fit?" Rosalie asked.

"Yeah. The ones that didn't fit, I left in the room."

"Okay, cool," Rosalie said, grabbing all of them and heading toward the cash register.

"Um, which are you choosing?" Bella asked, hoping she would grab the dark blue lace bra.

"All of them," Rosalie said, shrugging her shoulders. "We're just going to grab the matching underwear to all of these and we can go home."

Bella stared at her wide-eyed and began to protest. When Rosalie wouldn't listen, Bella gave up and pouted. All shopped out, they left the mall and headed to Edward's to celebrate Bella's birthday properly.

Once they arrived, Rosalie and Bella bounced up the stairs to Edward's front door as Bella struggled behind them with all her bags. The door was left open and as they walked through, Esme came to greet them.

"Hello girls," she said, giving each of them a kiss on the cheek. "How was shopping?"

"It was great! We bought Bella a whole new wardrobe!" Alice said, excitedly.

Bella groaned and Esme laughed, wrapping her arm around her shoulder. "You'll get used to them eventually," she said quietly.

"We heard that!" Rosalie yelled back as she climbed the stairs leading to the bedrooms.

Bella followed after her but was stopped when Esme called her name.

"Oh, Bella? I was wondering if you and your father would be interested in having dinner with us tomorrow night to celebrate your birthday. I would love to cook a homemade meal for you," Esme said.

Bella smiled. "That would be really nice, Esme. Thank you. I'll let my dad know."

Esme smiled and nodded before returning to the kitchen. Bella watched her and loved just how compassionate Esme really was.

"There you are." Bella quickly turned her head toward the top of the stairs and saw Edward standing there in a pair of sweatpants and a white t-shirt.

"Hey, your mom invited me and my dad for dinner tomorrow night," Bella said while climbing the stairs.

Edward noticed her lugging all her bags so he quickly rushed down to help. "Here, let me help," he said, grabbing some bags.

"Thanks. Rosalie and Alice like to shop and spend money but when it comes to the heavy lifting they don't want to hear about it," she huffed while continuing up the stairs.

Edward laughed. He stopped at the landing at the top of the stairs then and turned to her. "Did you have a nice time at least?" he asked.

"She had a great time!" Alice said, coming out of Edward's bedroom, hand in hand with Jasper.

"Yes she did!" Rosalie said, following after her with Emmett.

Bella rolled her eyes and Edward laughed.

"Okay, Bella. I'm going to set up downstairs. I want you to shower, put on some makeup and make your hair all nice and meet us downstairs wearing that dress. Okay?" Alice said.

"Alice, it's my birthday. Can I please not wear the dress?" Bella asked, pleading.

Alice contemplated this for a second. "Fine, I'll be nice. But you have to put on those skinny jeans and that pretty green tank top," Alice said.

Bella groaned and walked into Edward's bedroom.

"Alright Alice, give her a break. I'm going to change while she showers and I'll be down in a bit to help you guys out," Edward said.

"Sounds good, Edward! And I'm glad you thought of that all on your own because if you walked down in those hideous sweatpants, I don't know what I would have done," Alice said.

Edward laughed then while Rosalie and Alice started heading downstairs and Jasper and Emmett followed them.

"No funny business!" Emmett yelled back.

Edward laughed again and shook his head before following after Bella and shutting his bedroom door. Once he was inside, he recklessly dropped the bags, spilling the contents all over his bedroom floor. He chuckled then and approached her.

"Oh my God, Alice will kill you," Bella said, smiling.

Edward ignored her and the spilled clothing. "You look exhausted," he said, placing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I am. They dragged me everywhere and I tried on so many different clothes, Edward."

Edward chuckled and hugged her tightly.

"Okay, I need to change out of these 'hideous' sweatpants," Edward said, pointing down at his pants.

Bella laughed and he turned around, heading toward his dresser.

"Yeah, you don't want to give Alice a heart attack. Actually it might be kind of fun to watch her expression if you walk down in those," Bella said chuckling.

When Edward made no comment, she looked up to see what he was doing.

Edward was stopped in the middle of his bedroom, staring at the floor before him. Bella looked around his shoulder to see what he was staring at and when she saw what had fallen out of the bag, she widened her eyes in sheer terror.

Edward swallowed thickly and slowly bent to pick up the midnight blue lace bra that now lay openly on the floor of his bedroom. Bella stood still, staring at him, mouth agape.

"This is..." he said, staring at the piece in his hands. He coughed then, trying to clear his throat. "This is...nice."

"Um...yeah...thanks," Bella said, blushing.

"Is...it...yours?" he asked slowly.

Bella blushed again. "Yes," she whispered, looking him in the eye.

Edward tore his eyes away from the garment, looked up her, and all of a sudden he was picturing her wearing the bra and nothing else. He pictured her against his bed, her perfect, creamy skin clashing with the darkness of the blue and he couldn't shake the picture from his mind.

He wanted to see her in it.

He wanted to see her in it _badly_.

He _would_ see her in it, he thought.

As he started getting possessive, he quickly removed the image from his mind.

"It's nice," he repeated.

"Yeah. You said that already," she chuckled. "Rosalie told me I needed to find something that made me feel sexy and everything else she wanted me to buy was a little over the top...so yeah."

Edward was watching her, trying desperately to pay attention to what she was saying to him but the image kept reappearing. He was trying to think of something else but all he could picture was Bella in the bra on his bed. The harder he tried, the worse it got. He suddenly saw himself above her, removing her straps and sliding the piece down her body.

"Edward?"

He heard her call his name and immediately shook his head, clearing the image from his mind.

"Sorry," he said. "I was...um...thinking of something."

"Ookay," she said, moving her eyes from side to side.

"Here," he said, quickly dropping the bra into her hands.

Bella watched him wearily as he headed into the bathroom connected to his bedroom. Edward took a few seconds to regroup and then called her to come into the bathroom.

"Do you think it'll be okay for me to shower here?" she asked nervously. "What if they come upstairs?"

"You obviously haven't seen Alice's plans. She has everyone busy doing something down there. Don't worry... they definitely will not be coming up here."

Edward turned to face the door as Bella quickly started undressing.

Edward had been accustomed to the mundane task in which he faced the bathroom wall while Bella showered behind him.

But suddenly the task was difficult.

Something Edward had been used to doing every day was all of a sudden a struggle.

All of a sudden he had the strong urge to turn around – to watch her step foot into the shower, to watch the warm water flow down her naked body. He felt himself go hard and winced before forcing his eyes shut, trying not to listen to each piece of clothing leaving her body and landing on the floor beside him.

However, his efforts were futile.

The images of Bella clad in her blue bra on his bed resurfaced and he groaned inwardly. Image after image flooded his mind and as badly as he wanted them gone, he found himself enjoying them at the same time.

He imagined Bella standing behind him in the bathroom, wearing the bra and begging for him to turn around and help her remove it. He pictured the two of them in the shower together with the bra hanging on the back of the door. He imaged himself climbing the tree outside her house as she welcomed him into her bedroom wearing a pair of pyjama shorts and the blue bra.

Each vivid image was worse than the last and Edward couldn't believe he was thinking of Bella in such inappropriate terms. Bella showering was the longest fifteen minutes of his life, which was saying a lot considering what he'd been through.

When she finally emerged, he could practically feel her nakedness take over the room. Edward's eyes were clenched shut as he tried to think of dead kittens or his parents having sex but nothing was working. His erection was straining against his pants and he cursed himself for wearing sweatpants because now the bulge was clearly visible.

"Edward? Are you okay? I said you could turn around now," Bella said.

Edward coughed and discreetly adjusted himself before turning around. "Sorry," he said, before noticing that she was standing before him in nothing but a towel. His eyes widened as he took in her perfect skin while the fresh smell of her aroma invaded the room. The white towel accented her skin tone as beads of water cascaded over her collarbone.

Edward needed to get away from there and he needed to do so quickly. He didn't know what was happening but he knew that he couldn't stare at Bella in nothing but a towel any longer.

"You can stay in here...I'm just going to go change and I'll be downstairs if you need me."

"Oh...Okay," Bella said, gripping the towel tighter around her chest as he rushed out the bathroom.

Bella stood there, shifting her eyes, wondering what his problem was. A few minutes later, when she heard Edward's bedroom door open and close, she figured he had gone downstairs to join his friends. She exited the bathroom then, shifting through her bags, wondering what she would wear. She decided to listen to Alice and grabbed the pair of skinny jeans and the dark green tank top that hugged her curves. She grabbed one of her comfort bras as well and changed.

As she looked herself over in the mirror, she realized she looked better than usual and felt happy. She dried her hair straight then and decided to leave it down instead of tying it in a bun. She put on some mascara and was finally ready to head downstairs. She took one last look in the mirror, took a deep breath, and exited Edward's bedroom.

**

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:::

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"_So the next time he leaves...we just...try to go upstairs?" Bella said._

"_Yeah, pretty much. I'll remove your ties and we'll just walk up those stairs. We never tried it so he may just...trust us. You know?"_

"_Then what?"_

"_Then we snoop," Edward said, shrugging his shoulders._

"_We snoop?"_

"_Yeah. We'll look around the house and outside. We'll go through his stuff and see if there's a phone so we can call home. I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen."_

"_Okay. And if he comes home while we're upstairs?"_

"_Then we run," Edward shrugged._

_Bella didn't like the idea of having to run but she knew they had to start doing something about the situation they were facing. _

_Which is why, on June 15__th__, when the man came downstairs informing Edward and Bella that he would be leaving for a few hours, they both smiled discreetly. He told them he would be home in time to give them their dinner and to behave in the meantime. Edward smiled inwardly as he nodded his head and watched the man walk up the stairs, shut the door, and leave the house._

_When he was sure he was gone, Edward slowly crept up the stairs as Bella watched nervously. When he got to the top of the stairs, he slowly reached his hand out to twist the knob and when he met no restraint, he grinned._

"_He doesn't lock the door!" Edward whisper yelled._

"_What?" Bella exclaimed._

"_He doesn't lock it! Get over here, Bella!" Edward yelled._

_He pushed the door completely open and stepped over the landing into a kitchen. Bella ran up the stairs behind him and when she got to the top, she grinned._

"_I can't believe I didn't think of this beforehand. I can't believe he didn't lock this door. This is so crazy," Edward said, grinning._

_Bella and Edward ran around then, relishing in what they found. They wandered around walking from the kitchen to the living room to the dining room. They laughed and jumped up in joy and because they were so preoccupied with the notion of being away from the basement, neither really took a second to realize how strange the house really was._

_As Bella slowly walked around the kitchen, she noticed no fridge or stove or microwave or anything that a normal kitchen would normally carry. Upon opening one of the cupboards, she noticed big jugs of dirty water and dried foods like crackers and biscuits – foods that, for the last month, she had been used to eating multiple times throughout the course of the day._

_Bella decided to take a second look at the room then and as she noticed how white and bare the walls were she decided to speak up._

"_Edward, this is really weird. There's nothing here," she said._

_Edward noticed this as well but he continued to peruse the room. He noticed a telephone sitting on a counter and as a jolt of excitement soared through him, it was quickly abolished when he went to pick it up. As he lifted the phone off the counter, he realized it was light and made of cardboard – he realized the phone was a fake._

_Edward continued to examine the room and the more he noticed, the more his face fell until the final straw forced him to reconsider everything._

_When Edward walked toward a window in the kitchen they were standing in, he momentarily inspected it before quickly pulling the curtain aside. What he was met with made his entire body freeze in mortification. _

"_No," he whispered._

"_Oh my God," Bella whispered._

_Edward ran frantically around the rooms, pulling back curtains and instead of being met with the beautiful outdoor sun and sky, he was constantly being met with the same dull image – a plain brick wall._

_Edward and Bella were surrounded by a brick wall and as the realization hit them both, they stumbled toward each other and enveloped themselves in the tightest of hugs, trying to rid themselves of the thoughts now racing through their minds._

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**Once again thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing.**

**If you want to take a look to get a visual of Bella's bra, I have the picture up on my profile.**

**Reviews get a teaser to Chapter 9 - Bella's Birthday Part 2**


	10. Chapter 9

**I'm a day late! I'm sorry! I was at school yesterday from 10am to 10pm and it was just a disaster...but here it is! Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

**SabLuvsLogan**...thank you for everything :)

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PREVIOUSLY

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_As she looked herself over in the mirror, she realized she looked better than usual and felt happy. She dried her hair straight then and decided to leave it down instead of tying it in a bun. She put on some mascara and was finally ready to head downstairs. She took one last look in the mirror, took a deep breath, and exited Edward's bedroom._

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Chapter 9

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Edward was in his living room with his arm lying lazily over the back of the couch he was sitting on when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He turned his head toward the staircase as his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. Bella descended the stairs in the tightest pair of jeans, revealing the curve of her hips and the length of her legs. She wore a tight green tank top that showed off the beautiful pale skin of her arms. Her hair was down and straight and shiny and he felt a pull to her like he'd never felt before. He had always seen her hair tied up in a loose bun and now that it was flowing freely around her shoulders he wanted to run his fingers through it. He couldn't wait to get up and greet her.

Since Edward had acted so strangely back in his bedroom, Bella had been worried that he would be weird around her when she got downstairs.

She slowly smiled at him, testing his reaction and when he smiled back at her, she grinned. Their eyes were locked until the moment was interrupted by Emmett.

"Holy shit! Bella has boobs!" Emmett exclaimed.

"That's what I said!" Rosalie said.

Bella remembered Rosalie saying the exactly same thing when she had emerged from the dressing room and she couldn't help but laugh. Edward did not find it funny as he shot Emmett a menacing glare before getting up and approaching Bella.

"You look...wow..." he said, struggling to find the right words.

She blushed at his comment and thanked him. All of a sudden the awkwardness they shared in his bedroom was gone and they were back to being Edward and Bella. She smiled in satisfaction.

"You're welcome, Edward!" Alice sang as she passed by him in order to hug Bella.

"For what?" he asked confused.

"For bringing Bella's boobs to life," Alice said chuckling.

"Hey!" Bella protested.

Alice merely smiled as Bella blushed in embarrassment.

"Yeah, and you can thank me for what she's wearing underneath that," Rosalie said, winking.

Bella was even more embarrassed but Edward didn't notice because he immediately thought back to the midnight blue bra.

"So do you like it?" Alice said, pointing around the room.

Bella took a second to take in the room before her and gasped in shock. She had been accustomed to the Cullen's living room a certain way but when she looked around the room, she noticed everything was different. Alice had completely redecorated in the short amount of time it had taken Bella to get dressed. Pink, white, and black balloons and candles were all over the walls and tables and sitting on the small coffee table in the corner of the room was a large three layered cake.

As she looked around the room Bella realized that for the first time in a long time she felt one hundred percent comfortable. She was surrounded by people she trusted in an environment she felt safe in. With Edward by her side, she was really looking forward to spending the night peacefully, tranquilly, and without any worries. She also didn't have to worry about any Mike Newton's barging in and ruining the evening. She knew it would go perfectly well and she decided to bask in the feeling for this one night.

"It's beautiful, Alice," Bella said, smiling.

"Thank you!"

"Hey! We helped!" Emmett whined.

Alice rolled her eyes and led Bella toward the love seat couch and Edward was beside her. As soon as Bella sat down, Alice left the room and came back holding a big wrapped present that she placed on Bella's lap. Bella looked down at the large box as she chastised Alice for buying her a present when she had already done so.

"You already bought me a whole new wardrobe!" Bella cried.

"I know! But this is from Emmett and Jasper," Alice explained.

Bella groaned but unwrapped the present anyways. Inside was a beautiful black dress that Bella had remembered trying on but decided not to buy.

Bella chuckled as she pulled the dress out. How she hadn't noticed Alice paying for it was beyond her. "Why thank you Jasper and Emmett. How did you know my size?"

Jasper and Emmett grinned as Bella got up to hug everyone while giving her thanks. As she sat back down on the love seat, Edward leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"I'll give you your present later," he said.

She was about to tell him off for buying her a gift as well but before she could, Alice stood up and interrupted her.

"Alright! Let's get this party started!" she exclaimed.

"What are we doing exactly?" Bella asked.

"Oh I have all sorts of things planned. We ordered some food, we'll watch movies and play some games, drink some booze and have the whole house to ourselves, so it should be great but low key just like you wanted," Alice said.

"We have the house to ourselves?" Bella asked, looking at Edward.

"Yeah. My parents are going out and they're spending the night at some hotel in Port Angeles," he said.

"Oh and I called your dad and told him you were sleeping here at Edward's and he was okay with it," Rosalie said.

"He was okay with it?" Bella said having a hard time believing Charlie would be okay with her spending the night away from home.

"Yeah. It took a bit of convincing but I assured him that Alice and I would be here and we would all be sleeping together and you wouldn't be going anywhere near Edward's bedroom," Rosalie said, smiling.

"So you're all sleeping here tonight?" Bella asked.

"Fuck yeah!" Emmett said.

"Watch your language Emmett McCarty," Esme said as she exited the kitchen.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Esme was wearing a beautiful red cocktail dress with a pair of high heel shoes that made her legs look fantastic. Her hair was up in a beautiful up-do with thin pieces of hair framing her face and long earrings hanging down to just above her neck.

She looked absolutely beautiful.

"Wow, Mrs Cullen. You look amazing," said Rosalie.

"Mom, isn't that dress a little short?" Edward said.

They all laughed at his protectiveness and Esme merely smiled. "Come give your mother a kiss goodbye, Edward," she said, opening her arms in invitation.

Edward got up to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek as Carlisle walked into the room wearing a suit.

"Alright you guys. Behave please," Carlisle said. "Don't set the house on fire."

"We'll try," Emmett said, grinning.

"Bella, your father called me and I assured him you were in good hands. He was rather worried but I managed to calm him down. Maybe you should give him a quick call to reassure him?" Esme said.

Bella nodded as Esme and Carlisle left to go have dinner in Port Angeles. Bella went to the kitchen then to call her father and to assure him that everything was going to be okay. Before hanging up, she promised to spend the night sleeping between Alice and Rosalie in a bedroom far, far away from the boys. When she hung up the phone with Charlie, she returned to the living room.

As she took her seat next to Edward, the doorbell rang alerting the group that the pizza they ordered had arrived. As they sat around the table in the living room, eating and having a good time, Bella marvelled at the fact that she had managed to make great new friends in Forks. Granted they were all Edward's friends, but she liked to think that they enjoyed her company as well.

Edward saw Bella smiling as she chewed on her pizza and he loved the fact that he was able to grant her the safety she needed to have a carefree night. When she saw him staring at her she looked at him in return. She grinned at him and he laughed. He noticed an eyelash on her cheek then so he gently leaned into her and removed it with the tip of his index finger. He blew it away and she smiled while the four friends stared at them, rolling their eyes and shaking their heads.

When they were finished eating, they cleared the table and Emmett came back into the room with a deck of cards.

"Alright! Drinkin' Time!" he exclaimed.

Bella got a little nervous suddenly because she'd only been drunk a handful of times and didn't want to make a fool of herself. As she realized then that they would all be drinking and it was her seventeenth birthday and Edward was by her side, she decided not to care.

Jasper brought out a carton of orange juice, a bottle of vodka, and six glasses before settling everything on the table while Emmett removed the cards from the deck. Jasper poured everyone a glass of vodka and orange juice while they all settled around the table in Edward's living room.

"Alright, we're playing High-Low. Everyone knows how to play, right?" Emmett asked.

As they all nodded yes, Bella shyly whispered no.

"Okay. It's really simple, Bella. Basically I'll deal you a card and you have to guess whether the next card will be higher or lower. If you get it wrong, you drink once because there's only one card showing. If you get it right, you go again. You have to get at least 3 right before being able to move on to the next person."

"Okay. So if you get it right, you guess again, if you get it wrong you drink once?" Bella asked to clarify.

"Yes, but if there's more than one card down you have to drink more than once. Let's say you get three right then we move on to Alice. If Alice gets it wrong then she has to drink three times. If Alice happens to get another three right after your three, then we move on to Jasper. If he gets it wrong, he drinks six times. And so on, so forth. Get it?"

"Basically every time someone gets it wrong, we clear the pile and start over but that person has to drink depending on the number of cards that are down," Edward explained.

"Oh okay. I understand," Bella said nodding.

They decided Bella was going to start and Emmett was going to be the dealer. He flipped over the first card revealing the eight of diamonds.

"Higher," Bella said.

Emmett flipped over the next card which was the 5 of spades.

"Drink!" they all exclaimed. She took her first sip and Emmett cleared the deck, flipping over the next card, revealing a three of hearts.

"Higher," Bella said.

Emmett turned the card over, revealing a 2 of clubs as they all laughed at her bad luck.

"Shit!" she yelled.

They all laughed again as the first swear word they'd ever heard her mutter left her lips. Bella took another sip as Emmett once again cleared the pile and flipped over the next card –a jack of clubs.

"Lower," she said.

The next card was a 5 of hearts and Bella smiled in happiness. She needed to get two more right in order for the round to move on to Alice.

"Higher," she said.

Emmett flipped over a king of hearts and she beamed.

"Lower!" she said, excitedly.

As Emmett flipped over a four of hearts, she grinned in excitement, thankful that the round could move on. It was then Alice's turn as she right away got all three cards right. When it moved on to Jasper, his first guess was wrong and he was forced to take 6 sips in a row, resulting in Emmett clearing the deck. Jasper failed a couple more times, forcing him to take a total of 9 sips before getting three in a row right and allowing the round to move on to Rosalie.

Rosalie got two correct before guessing wrong and having to take 5 sips. When she got three right it was Emmett's turn and he passed the cards over so Edward could be the dealer. Since Emmett really wanted to drink, he purposely got his answers wrong, saying 'higher' for a queen and 'lower' for a three. After taking 12 sips in total, it was time for Edward's turn. Edward also got all three right as the round moved back to Bella.

When the deck ran out, they started a new round since they all still wanted to play.

In a stream of good luck, Bella, Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie all managed to get three right in a row, resulting in 12 cards being down on the table. Emmett laughed nervously as he knew the lucky streak couldn't continue. He had drank sufficiently in the last round and was no longer trying to mess up on purpose. As a king of spades sat on top, he knew the right answer would be 'lower' so he wouldn't have to take 12 sips.

"Lower!" he said loudly. As Edward slowly turned the card over, they all gasped – except for Bella – at what they saw. A Joker sat staring up at them and they all groaned in frustration.

"What does that mean?" Bella said.

"It means we all drink," Edward said.

Bella groaned and they all joined in before each of them taking 12 sips.

They played another four rounds until they were all feeling a buzz. They decided they didn't want to play anymore so they temporarily lay down on various couches before switching activities.

"I need to pee," Bella said, attempting to get up.

Edward had been lying with his head on her lap and he really didn't want her to move.

"Nooo!" he said, forcing his head down so she couldn't get up.

She managed to wiggle free from him and swiftly rolled off the couch under him but she wasn't quick enough as he grabbed her, forcing her to sit sideways on his lap, his hands on her hips, steadying her.

"Woo! Look at Edward and Bella!" Emmett cooed.

"You guys are like so cute together. I don't get why you're not dating," Alice slurred.

Bella blushed and shifted so she could face Edward. She looked at him then with her hand on her chin as she dramatically pondered Alice's question.

"Hmm," she said, sliding her fingers in his hair. "You are pretty cute."

"Yeah?" Edward said chuckling. "You're pretty cute yourself."

"Oh God. I'm going to barf," Jasper said jokingly.

Bella laughed then and got off Edward's lap and headed toward the bathroom. When she came back into the room, she jumped onto the couch next to Edward, placing her hand on his leg and resting her head on his chest.

"Hi," she said with a smile on her face.

"Hi," he said, stroking her hair. "Did you have fun in the bathroom?"

"Yes," she said, chuckling.

"So what do we do now?" Rosalie asked, lying doing on the long couch with her head in Emmett's lap.

"Strip poker!" Emmett said, playing with the strap of Rosalie's tank top.

"Yeah!" Jasper exclaimed.

"Umm...no!" Bella said.

"Why don't we just watch a movie or something?" Edward said.

"No! More drinking games! Bella's not drunk enough. She's still going to remember all this tomorrow," Emmett said.

"Why do you want me to be drunk so badly?" Bella asked.

"Cause it's fun! I want you and Edward to make out soon," he said, smiling.

"Oh I know! Let's play truth or dare!" Alice said, excitedly. "Okay Bella, you're first. What? You pick dare? Okay! I dare you to kiss Edward!"

Edward chuckled and looked down at Bella. She was staring up into his eyes and as they looked at each other, they both had the same idea. They smiled coyly to each other so the others wouldn't see and shifted their positions so they were more comfortable. Bella slowly lifted her arm around Edward's neck, pulling herself closer to him as Edward placed his hand on her face, angling her mouth closer to his.

"Oh my God, they're actually going to kiss," Emmett whispered to Rosalie.

"Holy crap, I was just joking," Alice whispered.

The four friends sat on the edge of their seats, staring at Edward and Bella on the opposite couch, waiting for what was about to happen.

Edward slowly leaned down as Bella leaned closer to him. Their noses were practically touching as Bella let out a sigh, pulling Edward even closer. At the last second, just as their lips were about to touch, Bella turned her head and gave Edward a loud kiss on the cheek. They simultaneously erupted in laughter as they turned toward the others.

"Did you actually think we were going to kiss?" Edward said, laughing.

"Damn you both!" Alice said, throwing a pillow at them.

Edward and Bella laughed again as they resumed their previous position.

"I know what we should do! We should play Dance Dance Revolution while drunk!" Emmett said, excitedly.

"Okay, you officially have the worse ideas," Rosalie said.

They spent the rest of the night playing random games until it was time to sing Bella a happy birthday. After doing so, they cut the cake and sat around the living room eating and talking.

That night Bella was able to learn all about life in Forks. They told her about what it was like growing up in such a small town and how goofy Edward was as a ten year old. They told her about Tyler Crowley eating his own boogers and Eric Yorkie peeing the bed. They told her about Jessica Stanley getting caught giving head to Mike Newton in the janitor's closet on the second floor and then crying about it.

When they got to the part about all the different ways Jessica and Lauren have tried to seduce Edward, Bella felt a churn of jealousy in her stomach.

"Remember when Lauren sent you her underwear," Emmett guffawed.

Bella's eyes widened. "She did that?"

"Unfortunately," Edward said, embarrassed.

"She walked up to him in the cafeteria and shoved them into his front pocket. He was mortified," Jasper said, laughing.

"Those were the first girl underwear I ever touched. How horrible is that," Edward said, shaking his head.

Bella couldn't help but laugh.

"Or when you walked to your car after one of Mike's parties and Jessica was sitting in the back seat of your Volvo in just her bra and underwear," Rosalie said.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Edward said.

Bella blushed at that and suddenly found herself hating how forward Jessica Stanley has been.

"Edward went to get one of those crazy 50 dollar car washes after that incident," Emmett said.

"Fucker," Edward said. "Remember I wanted you to help me get her out of my car but you wouldn't because that was the first time you hooked up with Rosalie."

Bella had never heard the story of how Rosalie and Emmett started dating so they decided to tell her which resulted in Alice and Jasper telling their story as well. They were both adorable tales and Bella hoped she'd one day have that perfect story of how she met the man of her dreams. She then started to wonder who would be her perfect boyfriend. She couldn't imagine herself with a boyfriend – especially not now, especially since she couldn't stand to be away from Edward for even a day.

All talked out, they decided on watching a movie and since it was Bella's birthday it was her choice. She walked over to the DVD shelves and picked one she thought everyone would like before Edward placed it in the player and they all got comfortable.

Rosalie and Emmett were lying horizontally on the long couch, Rosalie's head on Emmett's chest with their feet entwined together and Alice was sitting sideways on Jasper's lap, her head on his shoulder and his head on hers. Halfway through the film, their buzz had dissipated and both couples were fast asleep.

Bella was lying with her head on Edward's chest, paying closer attention to the beat of his heart then to the actual film. As she brought her right hand up to yawn, he noticed the thin piece of rope upon her wrist and suddenly remembered what he was supposed to do.

"Come with me," Edward whispered into her ear, standing up and offering Bella his hand.

Bella scrunched her eyebrows in confusion but grabbed his hand anyways and followed him as he led her upstairs toward his bedroom. As she walked into his room, he lightly closed the door behind him, not wanting to make any noise. Edward's bedroom was lit up solely by the moonlight shining in through his window and because it provided a soothing mood, he decided not to turn the lights on.

"You know, I promised my dad I wouldn't go anywhere near your bedroom. If he comes barging in here you're going to have to explain it to him," Bella whispered suddenly feeling shy.

The lighting in the bedroom and the feeling of Edward's hand in hers made Bella feel a little different. The alcohol she had consumed was clouding her judgement and even though she was no longer drunk, she couldn't describe what she was feeling.

"Yeah, that'll be okay," Edward whispered, dragging Bella toward his bed.

"You'll explain that you got his daughter drunk and then forced her onto your bed?" Bella whispered before climbing onto Edward's bed and sitting Indian style in the middle of it as he crawled in beside her.

The air in the room shifted suddenly as the darkness made everything more potent. Bella could feel Edward's leg against her own and she could smell his perfect scent as he breathed beside her.

"Hey, all your clothes are still on so I get some credit, right?" he muttered.

"I guess," she said, chuckling nervously.

Edward gently leaned over then, placing a piece of hair behind her ear.

"You really do look pretty tonight," he whispered.

"Thank you," she said, leaning closer into his touch.

Edward looked into her eyes then, noticing how beautiful they were. He suddenly felt the need to be closer to her. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and smell her hair and lay her down on his bed with him. Bella leaned closer into him and he could feel the warmth emanating from her body.

"Are you drunk?" Edward asked as he brought his face closer to hers.

"I don't know," Bella said as she darted her eyes from his mouth back up to his eyes.

As the overwhelming urge to kiss her took him over, Edward gently took her hand in his, lifting it up between them. It was passed midnight which meant it was officially Bella's real birthday and he knew what this day meant. He needed to make this day perfect for her like she had once made his day perfect for him.

He allowed himself a second to look down at their entwined fingers and saw the small piece of rope fastened around her wrist. He brought it up to his face then as he brought his own rope clad wrist up next to hers.

"I bought you a present," Edward whispered, still not pulling himself away from her.

"I know but Edward...I told you not to buy me anything."

"I know. And at first I wasn't going to but then...I kinda walked by the store and I saw it and I thought of you."

Edward gently moved himself away from Bella then, reaching into his bedside table, removing a rectangular wrapped box. He gently placed the box in Bella's lap.

"Esme wrapped it," he said shyly.

Bella smiled at him and realized just how sweet he was being. She slowly unwrapped the box and lifted the cover. When she saw the beautiful bracelet waiting inside, she looked up at Edward.

"Wow..." Bella said.

"You like it?" he asked nervously.

The bracelet was thin and dainty and perfectly Bella. It was silver and had a small pendant in the shape of a B hanging from it.

"Edward...I love it...but...I already have a perfectly good bracelet," she said.

"I know you do...but this one is prettier," he said.

"But I like this one," Bella said, passing her fingers lightly across the rope. In doing so, her fingers lightly brushed against Edwards as she felt a jolt of something in her belly. Edward was lightly caressing her wrist as she looked up into his eyes.

"I don't want to replace it, Bella. I don't ever want to replace it. But you deserve something pretty and I saw this and I thought it would look perfect on you," he said.

Edward removed the bracelet from the box and lightly held Bella's wrist to fasten the clasp.

"Put it on the same wrist," she whispered.

Edward placed the bracelet on her small wrist and looked back into her eyes.

"Happy Birthday, Bella."

**

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:::

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_As Bella woke up one morning, she stretched her arms above her head while yawning and taking in the room before her. The cellar she had been stuck in for almost two months was exactly the same as it had always been however on this particular morning, she noticed something a little different._

_She had been accustomed to waking up around the same time as Edward, and as they would both yawn and stretch and groan, they would mutter low good mornings to each other. This morning however, Edward sat staring at the yellow post-it note that kept their calendar up to date._

"_Is everything okay?" Bella asked as she got up and headed towards him._

_Edward turned his head to look at her then, not noticing she had woken up. He looked at her momentarily before turning his eyes back down toward the yellow note._

"_Edward? Are you okay?"_

_As Bella leaned around Edward's shoulder, she noticed the date he was staring at but couldn't decipher why._

_June 20__th_

"_Edward...is there something wrong with June 20__th__?" Bella asked sceptically._

"_It's my birthday today," he said plainly._

_Bella looked up at him quickly and was immediately at a loss for words._

"_Oh," she said._

_Edward gave her a small smile but couldn't help the feeling that was rising in his chest. For the first time since he had gotten there, he felt completely hopeless. He had been stuck in that basement for almost two months now and the fact that it was his birthday made him all the more scared._

_Bella didn't know what to do. She had been accustomed to Edward helping her feel better and now that she needed to help him, she didn't know what to do. She watched the sadness in his eyes and she wanted to make it all go away but she knew that today would be particularly difficult._

"_Edward...I know that this isn't where you would want to celebrate your birthday but we can try and make the best of it..." she said, slowly._

"_Bella...we're...trapped. We're trapped in a basement inside a house inside a...brick...wall. We're never getting out of here," Edward said shaking his head._

"_Don't say that. They'll find us," Bella whispered._

"_You don't know that."_

_Bella felt her heart sink._

"_Edward...stop. Please. We can't think like that. If we do, we'll never get out of here," she said._

"_I wonder if this is the last birthday I'll ever celebrate," Edward said, still staring at the post-it._

_Bella felt the tears in her eyes._

"_Edward... I need you to stay strong. If you lose faith than I'll lose faith and we'll just lose touch with reality. I don't want to accept this. I want to fight it. Okay?"_

_Edward said nothing. She looked at him as his hair hung in his eyes. Everything about him looked off. His hair was too long, he was too skinny, his clothes were too baggy, and she knew she had to do something. She had to make him feel better._

_She needed to do it for them._

"_Come with me," Bella said, taking him by the hand and leading him to her corner of the room. "It's your birthday, right? So let's just focus on that for a little while. Sit down."_

_As Edward sat down, Bella went to look around the room to see if she could find something to make Edward feel better. _

_Bella was able to roam freely now since the man decided that Bella's wrists no longer needed to be bound. He had told her that it made no difference since there was no way she was leaving. He therefore removed her ties and she marvelled at that small step forward as she massaged her wrists. Edward had bandaged her all up then so her wrists were nice and healed._

_Because of this, she was able to manoeuvre quite easily around the room, frantically looking for something to improve Edward's mood on his birthday. As she was running out of ideas, she saw an old piece of rope on the floor by Edward's side of the room. She immediately went to grab it and twisted it in her hands so she could figure something out._

_Suddenly a thought came to her. A thin piece of rope had come loose from the rest so she started to pull on it and it easily came undone. She held the thin piece of rope separate from the larger piece and approached Edward who was staring down at his hands._

_She sat in front of him and placed her hand under his chin so he would look up at her._

"_So I know this isn't the optimal place to be celebrating a birthday. And I know I'm not the person you would want to celebrate your birthday with but we'll make the best of this situation."_

_She gently moved the hair away from his eyes before grabbing his wrist and placing it in her lap. "I'm giving you a birthday present," she whispered. "It may not be the nicest bracelet but it comes from the heart." _

_She placed the rope around his wrist and tied it in a tight knot, making sure it wouldn't come undone. _

"_Edward, I'm only sixteen years old, so I haven't met all that many people; but I can say, from the bottom of my heart, that you are one of the most amazing people I have ever met. You're sweet and caring and you deserve so much more than being stuck in this crappy basement on your seventeenth birthday. And if we ever get out of here...I'll make it up to you. At some point...I don't know how or where but I will make this birthday up to you. So you can't be sad. Not today."_

_She paused for a second before continuing._

"_This bracelet is so much more than a thin piece of rope. This bracelet is to remind you of everything you've ever done for me. The only reason I'm still sane right now is because of you. You're an amazing person and I don't want you to doubt that. Not even for a second."_

"_Bella..." Edward whispered._

"_No, wait. I'm not finished. I want this bracelet to remind you not of this place, but of what this place means. Edward, I hate that we're here. I hate that we're stuck here but I love it here because I met you in the process. I don't know when we'll get out of here or even if we'll get out of here; but I want you for the time being to be able to look down at your wrist and know that you've changed my life for the better. Because you're a great person."_

_Edward looked at her then and realized just how amazing she was. He immediately pulled her to him and gave her a tight hug. She was so skinny – too skinny – so his arms wrapped completely around her but she was warm and her hug was tight yet gentle and he didn't want to let her go. And all of a sudden it didn't matter that he was spending his birthday away from his friends and family. All that mattered was that Bella had just said the nicest thing anyone has ever said to him and he was able to hold her in his arms._

_When he released her he looked into her eyes before getting up and grabbing the thicker piece of discarded rope. He ripped off another thin piece and went to sit back in front of Bella._

"_What..." Bella started._

_He grabbed her wrist and placed it in his lap. "Bella, everything you just said...it was...just...thank you," he said. "And when I look down at this bracelet from now on I'm going to smile in comfort and I want the same for you."_

_Edward tied the piece of rope he had ripped off around her wrist and fastened it tightly so it would never fall off. "The only reason I can sit here with a smile on my face is because of you. And I know you're having a harder time with this but I want you to know that I will always be here for you. I'm sorry if I made you think otherwise today. There is nothing he can do to us that will ever take me away from you. And I want you to know that you are also one of the most amazing people I've ever met."_

_Edward hugged her again and Bella smiled into his t-shirt._

"_Happy Birthday, Edward," she said._

_As they sat enveloped in each others arms, Bella felt proud of herself because for the first time since they had gotten there she had been the one to do the soothing. She knew she needed Edward but she now realized Edward also needed her. And when she looked into his smiling face when they moved away from each other, she knew she was the one who had put that smile there._

_And even though it was from an ugly bracelet made of a thin piece of rope that once held their hands bound in captivity, it didn't matter. It didn't matter because Edward was rubbing at his bracelet and Bella was rubbing at hers and they both felt reassured and comforted._

_

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_

**So...did you like the little story behind the bracelet? Let me know :)**

**I wanted to mention a few things if any of you are confused or wondering what's going on. There's a reason this story isn't labelled as Angst. I don't plan on droning on and on about how broken Bella is and how difficult it is for her to cope and blah blah. There are PLENTY of stories out there that deal with that and this isn't one of them. If Bella feels safe - if she's somewhere familiar with people she knows - all she really wants is to appear normal. They are both trying to blend back in and live their lives like they were. Yes, stuff has happened and will happen that force them to remember but all in all they are desperately trying to be 'normal'. This is why Bella is able to go shopping for a few hours with Rosalie and Alice - who she trusts. This is why she is able to spend an entire night, freely and comfortably at Edward's house. Because she's not nervous or afraid...she feels safe.**

**I just wanted to make that clear. I want you guys to really realize that they are not completely broken. They are suffering from this but they're getting over it together.**

**Review for teaser to Chapter 10 where Edward and Bella have dinner with Esme, Carlisle, and Charlie**


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

Big thanks as always to **SabLuvsLogan.**

**I think this is probably my longest chapter so far...a lot happens in this one...enjoy!**

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Chapter 10

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After Edward had given Bella her birthday present, they returned downstairs to join their friends who were sound asleep across the couches. Edward and Bella settled themselves on the rug in his living room after grabbing several blankets to ensure their warmth throughout the night.

When they all woke up the following morning, they groaned and stretched and parted ways before breakfast. Since Bella had promised her dad she would be home for breakfast, she left Edward's shortly after everyone else.

"You sure you don't want me to drive you?" Edward asked when Bella had informed him she would be walking home.

"Edward, it's only two blocks. You do it every day. I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

"As long as you're sure. Why are you leaving so early anyways?"

"I promised my dad I would be home in time for breakfast. He seemed really adamant about cooking for me. I think he might have talked to my mom because she used to always make me a special breakfast for my birthday," Bella said.

"Aw, that sounds nice. I would love to see Charlie cook anything," Edward said.

Bella chuckled.

"By the way, our appointment with Dr Aro is moved up to this afternoon so that we can be back in time for dinner with my parents and your dad," Edward said.

"Alright, you'll pick me up later then?"

"Yeah. Have a good breakfast," he said before pulling her into a tight hug. "And happy birthday again."

"Thank you and thanks again for the bracelet," she said smiling. "I really do love it."

Edward smiled and watched as she walked down his driveway. As she stepped foot onto the sidewalk, he saw her fasten her coat and when she started worriedly glancing around, Edward knew she was nervous.

Bella felt very tense and hated the fact that she pretended to be okay with walking home when she obviously wasn't able to do so. When she looked back and saw Edward watching her as she walked home, she felt comforted. When she was down the road, she quickened her step and practically ran home. When she got to her house, she slipped the key into the lock and opened the front door. As the smell of bacon and eggs wafted through the air, she immediately felt herself relax.

"Dad? I'm home," she called out before walking into the kitchen.

"Hey kiddo. Happy 17th!" he said, excitedly.

"Thanks," she said, smiling.

Charlie was standing by the stove looking completely dishevelled as he tried to fry the bacon and cook the eggs at the same time. Bella giggled at her father and sat down on one of the kitchen chairs.

"Need any help?" she said.

"Nope. Everything is perfectly fine over here," he said, running around the kitchen.

Bella laughed again, loving the fact that her father was trying so hard to do something nice for her. Bella had always resented the fact that she never got to know her father. As a little girl she watched as her friends would run into their daddy's arms after school and hated that she couldn't do so.

Bella did miss her mother dearly but she was thankful she was given this opportunity to get to know her father. And in doing so, she realized just how similar they really were. As she smiled at him he smiled back. When he was finished frying the eggs, he took two plates out of the cupboard and placed two eggs, a couple slices of bacon, and some toast on it before handing it to Bella.

"Mmm...This looks great, dad."

"I really hope you like it, Bells. I honestly can't remember the last time I made anything."

"I'm sure it'll be great," she said, before grabbing her fork and digging in.

"Oh, before I forget. I have something for you."

Charlie got up to fetch a large thin box and a smaller, thicker box. He handed her the small box first.

"This one's from me," he said.

Bella grabbed it and unwrapped it, revealing a new digital camera.

"Wow dad...this is awesome!"

Charlie nodded in embarrassment and handed her the second gift. He let her know it was from her mother and Bella smiled before tearing off the wrapper to find a scrapbook.

"Your mom wants you to fill it with pictures of your senior year. She wants to know about your friends and stuff."

Bella got up to her hug her father and after giving her thanks, they both sat down and finished their breakfast. Then they were done, Bella offered to wash the dishes but Charlie wouldn't hear of it so she went upstairs to get ready for the day and to catch up on some homework.

Her mother called earlier than usual wishing her a happy birthday and telling her how much she wished she could be there to celebrate with her. Bella told her about all her great gifts, including the beautiful bracelet Edward had bought her and she promised her mother she would take a picture of it with her new camera and email it to her.

Around four o'clock, Edward came to pick her up for their Sunday appointment with Dr Aro.

"Bella! I hear it's your birthday," Dr Aro said as he entered the room to sit in his chair opposite their couch.

Bella nodded and smiled shyly.

"Well, happy birthday."

"Thank you," she replied.

"What are your birthday plans?" he asked, seeming genuinely interested.

"Um...well I spent last night with Edward and his friends..."

"They're your friends too," Edward interrupted.

"Right. Yeah. Sorry. We all spent the night together. It was really fun. This morning my dad made me breakfast and we're all having dinner tonight at Edward's."

"That sounds nice," Dr Aro said.

"It is."

"Is it different from how you would normally spend your birthday? Back with your mom, I mean."

Edward rolled his eyes.

"It's a little different but if anything it's better. I never would have let any of my old friends throw me a party and really none of them would have insisted like Alice did. Alice is a friend of ours. My mom would usually wake me up at some ungodly hour with a ridiculous breakfast. One year she spelled my name out in pancakes. It took her all morning but she had a huge smile on her face when I came downstairs so I was happy. But um...yeah we would normally just spend the day the two of us relaxing, doing whatever we felt like doing that day."

Edward loved the brightness in Bella's eyes whenever she spoke about her mother.

"Do you miss that?" Dr Aro asked.

"Yeah, for sure. But having real friends that I want to see and who want to see me is really great. And seeing my dad work so hard at cooking an egg is also pretty great. I miss my mom, I really do, but she has Phil and my dad needs me more than she does and I feel bad that it took...something so drastic...for me to realize that he needed me."

"You don't think your father was okay without you?"

"No, I think he was perfectly fine. But he knew he had a daughter that he would never really get to know. It was always really awkward between the two of us and now it's just so...comfortable and safe. I hate that I didn't get to know him sooner."

"So all in all a good birthday, then?"

Bella nodded and smiled. "Yeah. All in all a good birthday."

Dr Aro knew he needed to get Bella and Edward to talk about their kidnapping but he also knew that neither wanted to be present in that room. As he figured it was Bella's birthday, he decided not to broach on the subject he really wanted them to talk about.

The rest of the session was therefore spent talking meaninglessly about school and birthdays until it was time to leave. Edward dropped Bella off at home after that so she could change to get ready for dinner at the Cullen's.

Bella dressed in a light grey sweater and a black skirt that went bellow her knee and Charlie dressed in a pair of black pants with a light blue button down shirt. Bella told him how handsome he looked and he groaned in embarrassment.

When they rang the doorbell to the Cullen's home, Esme answered the door in a beautiful black dress with an apron tied around her waist. She smiled widely and welcomed them in.

"Hello! Welcome, welcome!" she sang.

Bella smiled and stepped into the house, Charlie following behind her. Esme greeted Bella with a hug and Charlie with a kiss on the cheek.

"How are you Charlie? Long time no see," she said with a small smirk.

"I know. We really need to get together more often. I've been great," Charlie said, removing his coat.

Bella removed her jacket as well and shifted awkwardly in the front entrance as Esme and Charlie chatted. She looked around Esme then to see if Edward was nearby. She thought she was doing so discreetly, but she obviously wasn't since Esme knew exactly what she wanted.

"Edward is in his bedroom dear. Go on up and let him know that dinner will be ready in ten minutes."

Bella took the invitation excitedly and rapidly ascended the stairs toward the bedrooms. She knocked quietly on Edward's door before opening it up.

Edward had just gotten out of the shower and as he dried himself off, he dropped his towel to the ground. As he reached over to grab a pair of boxers from his drawer, he heard a soft knock and then saw his bedroom door swing open.

"Wait!" Edward called out before bending over, grabbing a towel and fastening it around his waist.

"Oh my God!" Bella said, quickly covering her eyes with her arm and stepping out of the bedroom.

She hadn't seen anything she wasn't supposed to see but she was thoroughly embarrassed as she chastised herself for walking into his room without him first inviting her in. Edward's eyes widened as he took a deep breath and went to get her. He fastened the towel tighter around his waist as he opened the door to find Bella sitting down next to it.

"It's okay, Bella. Come on in," he said.

She got up then slowly and walked into his bedroom. "I'm so sorry," she said, turning around to face him, her face red as a tomato. "I should have knocked louder and I should have waited for you to answer and I'm really stupid, sorry!"

Edward laughed. "It's fine, Bella, really."

Bella was thoroughly embarrassed as she stared down at the floor.

Edward paused for a second. "Did you umm...see anything?" he asked nervously.

Bella chuckled nervously. "No, don't worry. I saw a lot of leg but nothing else."

Edward breathed a sigh of relief. Bella took a moment then to really look at Edward since she had never seen him without a shirt on. Edward was tall and slim with a lean torso showing off his newfound muscles. His shoulders seemed broader and as her eyes drifted south, she noticed abs starting to form around his stomach. His skin looked soft and clean and smooth and she wanted to run her hands along his chest.

"Like what you see?" he joked.

Bella blushed and forced her eyes away from his body, shaking her head in confusion. "Sorry," she muttered.

Edward laughed. "It's all good. I'm always seeing you in a towel so I guess it's about time you see me in one, right?"

"I guess. You're much more attractive than I am. That gym really is working," she said, remembering how skinny he used to be.

"Yeah. Felix is crazy. You really should come with me sometime. You'd have fun," he said.

"Edward, can you imagine me doing anything physical? I'll probably fall off the treadmill or drop a weight on my foot. It would be disastrous," she said.

"Felix is there to spot you the entire time. He won't let anything happen," Edward said.

Bella looked sceptical at first but when Edward gave her his puppy dog eyes, she laughed and agreed.

"Fine, I'll try it out."

"Sweet!" he said, enveloping her in a hug.

Bella suddenly felt his whole body against hers and shuddered at the feel. He was hard and soft and smelled delicious and she hadn't wanted him to release her.

A knock at his bedroom door forced the two of them to catapult away from each other as Carlisle entered the room. He looked between Edward and Bella and frowned in disappointment.

"Edward, dinner is ready. Put some clothes on, son," Carlisle said.

Edward nodded and went to his dresser to grab a pair of pants and a shirt. Carlisle then watched as Edward grabbed a pair of boxers realizing that his fears of Edward being completely naked under that towel were indeed true. Carlisle looked over at Bella then who looked all too guilty as she stood, swinging her leg underneath her, looking everywhere other than at him.

"Bella, maybe you should head downstairs now?" Carlisle said.

She nodded quickly and left the bedroom, looking back one last time at Edward in nothing but a towel. Edward smiled and winked at her and she blushed again. Carlisle closed the door to Edward's bedroom then, breaking her gaze.

"You realize if your father had walked in on you two he would have had a heart attack?" Carlisle said.

"Why?" Bella said confused.

Carlisle just stared at her, disapprovingly.

"It just looked bad because Edward was..." Bella started.

"Naked?" Carlisle finished.

"He had a towel on," Bella said. "And we were just talking."

"Go look in the mirror, Bella," Carlisle said before walking down the stairs.

Bella scrunched her eyebrows and walked into the bathroom. What she saw before her forced her eyes to widen in sheer embarrassment. The entire front of her light grey sweater was darkened by the remnant water from Edward's chest.

"Shit!" she muttered under her breath.

She didn't know what Carlisle thought they were doing but just the thought made her blush. She chuckled and shook her head at the ridiculousness of the situation and decided to just come up with an excuse. After doing so, she sighed and walked downstairs to join everyone for dinner.

As she sat down next to Edward at the dinner table, Charlie noticed her shirt.

"Bells, what the hell happened to your shirt?" he said.

Edward turned to look at Bella's shirt and immediately knew what it was from. He turned his head away, trying to hide the smile forming on his lips.

"Oh, yeah...um...I was washing my face and I got water all over me," Bella said.

Carlisle rolled his eyes and Charlie laughed.

"Oh you poor thing," Esme said. "Do you want a new shirt? You can borrow one of Edwards."

As appealing as that sounded, Bella decided to turn down Esme's offer. "No thanks Esme, I'm fine. It'll dry."

Edward was still trying hard not to laugh and when Bella noticed she scowled and elbowed him playfully under the table.

"Okay, Bella. I made you chicken cacciatore for supper tonight. I hope you like it," Esme said placing dishes on the table. As she filled everyone's plate, Charlie thanked her for inviting them over.

"It's my pleasure, Charlie. We wanted to give Bella a nice birthday dinner," Esme said smiling.

Bella smiled and thanked her.

"So how's school going guys?" Carlisle asked once they all started eating.

Edward shrugged and Bella smiled. "It's going pretty good," she said.

"You like your classes?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess. I like the people too. Kids in Forks are different than kids in Phoenix," Bella said.

"Oh! Speaking of Phoenix...Carlisle, we almost forgot," Esme said, getting up and reaching for an envelope on the counter.

"We got you a little something for your birthday," Carlisle said.

"You didn't have to," Bella said, grabbing the envelope and slipping it open.

Inside the card were two tickets. Bella pulled them out and upon noticing Bella's confusion, Esme explained the gift.

"Those are two tickets to Phoenix, Bella."

Bella stiffened immediately. She didn't know what to say as she could feel the fear creeping in. As she started fidgeting in her seat, Edward noticed and discreetly grabbed her hand under the table. Esme saw Bella's reaction and decided to explain.

"We know you don't want to go back there right now, Bella. But we pulled some strings and these two tickets don't expire so whenever you're ready you can bring whoever you want and you can go visit your mother."

Esme's reasoning combined with Edward's thumb rubbing soothing circles on her palm allowed Bella to calm down. With a small smile she realized no one was forcing her to go back to Phoenix.

"Thank you," she whispered. "This is a great gift."

Bella got up then and hugged both Carlisle and Esme before returning to her supper. They continued to converse casually between themselves, alternating between school and work.

"Esme, this is really delicious," Charlie said, scrapping his already empty plate.

Bella suddenly felt bad because she had never cooked Charlie a meal as delightful as the one they were eating. Bella was able to cook little things here and there, keeping them fed, but nothing had been as fancy as the delicious chicken covered in the tasty tomato sauce that Esme had managed to cook.

"Oh it was nothing, Charlie. I love making dinners like these," Esme said, smiling.

After dinner, Bella and Edward helped Esme clean up as Charlie and Carlisle went to watch TV in the family room. As Bella and Edward washed dishes together – Bella washing and Edward drying – they playful shot water and soap at each other, making a mess around the whole sink. Esme smiled, not caring in the least that her counters were soaked because the smile on her son's face was one she never wanted gone. Edward laughed and Bella giggled as they splashed and joked with each other and Esme couldn't resist capturing the moment in a picture.

When they were done, Edward headed out of the kitchen to watch TV with Carlisle and Charlie. When Bella didn't follow behind him, he turned to look at her and she merely shook her head, letting him know she wanted to stay in the kitchen.

"Umm...Esme? Can I ask you something?" Bella said shyly when she realized she was alone with her.

"Yes, of course dear. Don't be shy."

"Well...your chicken cacciatore tonight was really good and Charlie really enjoyed it..."

"Oh you want the recipe?" Esme said smiling.

"Well...yes, but not just that. I was wondering if you could...um...teach me how to cook."

Esme's smile widened until she was full on grinning. "Oh my goodness, of course! I would love to!"

"Are you sure?" Bella asked, worriedly. "I don't want to impose or anything I just thought it would be interesting."

"Yes I'm sure! I would love nothing more. The boys here they only care about how good it tastes not what actually goes into making the food. I would love to teach you!"

Bella smiled then and thanked Esme before joining Edward in the living room. Edward's arm was draped along the back of the couch and when Bella sat down he wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

"Your shirt is all dry now," he said, whispering into her ear.

She chuckled and pushed him playfully as Charlie sat staring at them.

With Edward's arm around Bella's shoulder, dangerously close to his daughter's right breast, the Chief of Police in him came out.

"So Edward, do you have a girlfriend?" Charlie asked.

Edward turned his head away from Bella then to look at Charlie who was glaring at him. Edward coughed uncomfortably, removed his arm from around her shoulder and shifted away from her.

"Umm, nope, no girlfriend," he said.

"Hmm. You're a good looking kid though, no girls catching your interest?"

Edward quirked an eyebrow at him and looked down at Bella and smiled.

"No, not really," Edward said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Most seventeen year old guys want girlfriends. What's different with you?"

Bella was very confused and had no idea what her father was trying to get at.

"I don't have the time for a girlfriend," Edward said, chuckling, trying to joke around.

"No time? You're seventeen. You go to school and that's it."

"Well sir, your daughter keeps me a little too busy."

Bella smiled and once again pushed him playfully.

Charlie took that comment with a sexual meaning behind it and glared at the boy who was smiling sweetly at his teenage daughter. Charlie turned his head back toward the TV but continued to keep an eye on Edward. He watched as Edward whispered into Bella's ear as she blushed and chuckled. When she lightly placed her head on his shoulder and he began to play with her hair, Charlie knew there was something more going on.

"Wanna go upstairs?" Edward whispered so only Bella could hear.

She nodded her head shyly.

"Oh! I forgot to give you back your textbook didn't I?" Edward asked so everyone could hear.

"Yes, I keep telling you to bring it to school and you never do," Bella said, pretending to be frustrated.

"Come on, let's go get it."

Edward and Bella got up then and headed upstairs to his bedroom. Charlie watched and was about to interrupt but they were long gone.

Once inside his bedroom, Edward shut the door.

"Sorry, it was just really awkward down there with them. Your dad kept staring at me," Edward said.

"Yeah, it's fine. I kinda wanted to be alone too," Bella said.

Edward smiled and lay down on his bed. Bella followed and lay down beside him – Bella on her stomach, Edward on his back.

"Can I ask you something?" she said.

"Anything," Edward answered.

"Am I standing in the way of you getting a girlfriend?"

"No...Why would you say that?" Edward asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because of what your dad was saying?"

"Well it just seems like everyone is always telling you how good looking you are and how girls are always throwing themselves at you and I don't understand why you're not...with someone."

"I don't want to be," he said.

"But you're a boy. You have like...needs and stuff..."

Edward laughed. "Please don't worry about my needs, Bella."

"I do worry though. You could probably be you know...doing it with like everyone...but you're not and I feel it's because of me," Bella said.

"Bella, it's not because of you. I'm not like that. Even before you, I never slept around."

"Are you sure?" Bella asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. Look if I wanted a girlfriend I would have one. And it's really not a good time for me right now. So don't worry, okay?"

"Okay," Bella said. "Just...promise me you'll tell me if I'm like...getting in the way...or occupying too much of your time..."

"Bella, stop right there," Edward interrupted her. "You're never going to get in the way of anything, okay? And I spend time with you because I want to not because you force me to."

"As long as you're sure," she said.

Edward stared at her and she decided to back down.

"Sorry...I was just...you know...getting a little annoyed of everyone always saying how cute and perfect you are," she said, smiling and poking him in the ribs.

Edward laughed. "So what? You don't think I'm cute?" he said wiggling away from her as he started to poke her sides.

"I didn't say that," Bella said giggling.

He continued to poke at her side as she laughed. "So you do think I'm cute?"

"Meh," Bella said.

"Meh? Even your dad thinks I'm cute."

"You're okay," she said, desperately trying not to smile but failing miserably.

"That's it," he said, grabbing her arms, flipping her over and trapping her underneath him. He pressed his body against hers as he pinned her arms above her head.

"Edward!" she said, wiggling her body underneath his.

"Admit that you find me attractive," he said, smiling.

"I can't admit something I don't think, Edward."

He continued to tickle her, trying to get her to admit that she found him attractive but she wouldn't give in. As Edward hovered above her, they both suddenly realized the position they were in. Edward felt Bella's small, warm body underneath his and as he stared into her eyes, he realized just how beautiful she was. Bella was breathing heavily, looking up at Edward as her hands were trapped above her head. Her breasts were moving up and down, hitting his chest with each inhale.

For the second time in two days, Edward wanted to kiss her. He had deluded himself into thinking that he only wanted to kiss her the previous night because of the alcohol but there he was, perfectly sober, staring into Bella's beautiful eyes and the urge came right back. He looked at her and as she looked up at him, her perfect pink little tongue came out to swipe along her bottom lip. That was all Edward needed before beginning his descent. He slowly moved his lips lower to hers as he passed his tongue along his bottom lip.

"Bella, is this okay?" Edward whispered.

Bella nodded and Edward brought his face closer. His lips ghosted over Bella's until his bedroom door flew open.

"Hey Bells, did you get that notebook? It's time to leave," Charlie said as he walked right into Edward's bedroom.

Edward jumped off Bella in lightning speed as he ran to the other side of the room and Bella sat up quickly. Charlie was standing, staring between Edward and Bella.

"What is going on in here?" Charlie yelled.

"Don't you knock, dad?" Bella said, trying to catch her breath.

"What? No!"

Carlisle and Esme had heard the commotion and ran upstairs.

"Is everything okay?" Carlisle asked.

"I thought you weren't dating!" Charlie exclaimed, ignoring Carlisle's question.

"We're not dating," Edward said, nervously fidgeting with his arms in front of him.

"You were...horizontal...on the bed!" Charlie said.

"What?" Esme asked.

"It's really not what it looks like," Edward said.

"You know, you keep saying that to me, Edward, and it's getting old. If you're dating my daughter, tell me," Charlie said, getting angrier and angrier.

"I'm not dating your daughter, Chief Swan. You have nothing to worry about," Edward said, running his hand through his hair.

"Then why was she underneath you? Why were you hovering above her like you were about to rip all of her clothes off?"

Edward's head snapped up. "What? I wasn't going to rip her clothes off."

"We were just playing around, dad," Bella said, utterly embarrassed.

"Alright, that's it. Edward, sit down," Charlie said, motioning to the spot on the bed next to Bella. He grabbed the chair by Edward's desk then, sliding it over and sitting in front of the bed, directly in front of Edward and Bella.

"You are too young to be having sex," Charlie said firmly.

"Charlie, my goodness!" Esme said.

"What?" Edward yelled.

"Oh my God," Bella cried.

"Bella you just turned seventeen for crying out loud. You cannot be engaging in sexual activity."

"Dad! Stop! We weren't doing anything!" Bella pleaded.

"You were horizontal together, Bella. But that's not the point. The point is...sex is bad."

"Charlie, if we're going to do this let's do it properly," Esme chastised. "What Charlie is trying to say is that...sex is not necessarily bad..."

"No, that's exactly what I'm trying to say. Sex is bad. Don't do it," Charlie said sternly.

"Sex can have disastrous consequences," Esme continued, ignoring Charlie's comment. "And not just pregnancy and that stuff but it takes a heavy toll on a relationship and you should really wait until...well until you're ready, you know?"

"Like when you're married," Charlie said.

"Like when you've been dating for a long time and you both feel comfortable with each other..."

"Mom. Please. I am begging you to stop talking," Edward said.

Bella's face was completely scarlet as she was utterly embarrassed and mortified.

"We're not having sex. We haven't even kissed. We're not dating. Please get out of my bedroom," Edward said.

"So you can continue where you left off? Dry humping my daughter! I don't think so!" Charlie said, his voice progressively getting louder and louder.

"Oh my God!" Bella cried out again.

"Dry humping? What? We weren't doing anything!" Edward yelled.

"Don't you yell at me, Edward Cullen. I know what I saw!"

"What did you see?" Edward said, challenging the Chief of Police.

"You're taking advantage of her because she's vulnerable!"

Edward's jaw dropped open.

"Charlie!" Esme yelled.

"I've seen this all too often. She hangs on your every word, Edward. You say, hey Bella maybe we should have sex, it's the right thing to do, and she says, okay Edward, sounds good."

Edward stared at Charlie as the entire room fell silent. Charlie knew what he said and he wasn't backing down as he returned Edward's gaze.

"Edward," Bella whispered.

Edward looked at her as she sat nervously on his bed, completely embarrassed with her cheeks tinted pink. He turned then to see his dad in the doorway looking completely disappointed and his mother looking worried.

"I see you're not denying it," Charlie said.

Edward immediately stormed out of his bedroom, not being able to believe what he was hearing. His brain was working at a mile a minute and he didn't know what to think. Ever since he had met Bella he had tried to protect her. Even when he didn't even know her name, he was trying to protect her.

"Edward!" Bella said, running after him.

Edward didn't stop. He needed to clear his head. One second he had Bella underneath him, wanting to kiss her, and the next her father was accusing him of taking advantage of her.

Had he been?

Edward couldn't get that thought out of his head. Did Bella want him to kiss her? Maybe she wanted him to get off her but was too shy. He heard Bella calling after him but he needed to flee. He needed to get away from his parents, from his house, and from the Chief of Police who was accusing him of taking advantage of Bella's vulnerability.

Edward ran into his car but before he had the chance to reverse out of his driveway, Bella jumped into the front seat.

Edward should have known better because neither would ever abandon the other in their time of need.

"Drive," Bella said sternly.

And he did. Edward drove and drove and he didn't pay attention to where he was going. He just drove in order to clear his head. Neither said a word until they reached the outskirts of town, and Edward stopped when the road turned into a darkened path too thin for cars.

As he put the car in park he sat staring ahead, knuckles clenched on the steering wheel.

"Edward, you're not actually contemplating what my dad said, right?"

He didn't answer her.

"Edward?" she asked on the brink of tears, wanting him to answer her.

Hoping to elicit a response, she quickly unbuckled herself and moved across the center console, grabbing his right arm from the steering wheel in order to sit sideways in his lap. "Edward?" she repeated.

"I don't know what I'm thinking, Bella."

"Edward, please, you have to know I don't think you're taking advantage of me."

"Bella...I...I'm so fucking confused. One second we're lying down, the next I'm on top of you and about to kiss you and I'm thinking you want it too and then your dad is there and telling us sex is bad and then my mom is telling us to wait for love and then he's telling me I'm a monster and...I..."

"Edward, stop," Bella whispered.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"You didn't...I..."

Bella paused before looking down at her hands.

"Yes?"Edward said, wanting her to finish her sentence.

"I wanted you to kiss me," she said softly, staring at her hands.

After a moment of silence, Edward spoke up.

"Come with me," he said, opening his car door.

Bella followed after him as he grabbed her hand in his and led her down the path.

"Umm, Edward, where are we going?"

"I want to show you something," he said.

"In the woods?" Bella said, clutching Edward's hand tighter.

Edward said nothing and led Bella further down the path. As the trees seemed to be getting thicker and thicker and as Bella started feeling more and more lost, the path suddenly opened up, making way for a beautiful opening in the woods that revealed a ledge overlooking a river.

The trees surrounding the area were tall and the flattened, open area was filled with beautiful flowers. The moon was shining down on the small river and Bella gasped.

"Oh my God, Edward, what is this place? It's beautiful!" she exclaimed.

Edward smiled and led her right to the center where he plopped himself down and Bella followed.

"Where are we?" Bella asked.

"We're in the forest," Edward said, chuckling.

His smile didn't reach his eyes and Bella frowned until she remembered something.

"I remember now. This is the place you were talking about. The place you wanted to bring me."

Edward nodded. "I'm glad you remember," he said.

"Of course I remember. How did you find this place?"

"Really randomly. I ran out of gas right where we parked the car and as I was waiting for my dad I went to take a piss..."

Edward paused as he noticed Bella's face scrunch up in disgust.

He chuckled. "Sorry, I went to relieve myself and I noticed the light shining in so I followed it until the clearing. It's really beautiful during the day. We'll come back," Edward said.

"I'd like that," Bella said, smiling.

As they both smiled at each other, Edward knew they had to discuss the situation.

"I'm sorry I tried to kiss you..." Edward said.

"Don't be."

"I think...we're just a little confused now because we've been spending so much time together and stuff but um...we probably shouldn't be kissing...right?"

Edward didn't know what to say to relieve the situation. A part of him was desperately hoping she would say no and tell him that he should definitely be kissing her but another part of him was telling him he was crazy. He didn't know why he was suddenly looking at her differently but he couldn't get her beauty out of his head. She wasn't just Bella anymore. She was beautiful. Her big brown eyes had always been comforting but now they were just plain amazing. Her long brown hair had always smelled nice but now he wanted to wrap his hands in it. He noticed the shape of her face, the length of her body, the smoothness of her skin, and all of it was confusing him.

He was waiting, counting the seconds to see what she was going to say. He really wanted to give her an out. He wanted to make sure she really wanted him to kiss her before doing so but Bella didn't see it that way. She felt like he was asking her because he didn't really want to kiss her. She felt a hint of rejection and wasn't going to admit to wanting to kiss him a second time when he obviously didn't want to kiss her.

"Yeah...you're probably right," Bella said, looking down.

Edward smiled sheepishly and nodded as he felt a tug of pain in his heart. He wondered what happened in his bedroom then because it definitely seemed like Bella had wanted him to kiss her. He was so close too. What would have happened if Charlie hadn't walked in?

Edward and Bella sat in silence trying to enjoy the scenery but there were more pressing issues on both their minds.

When Bella shivered, Edward decided it was time to get going.

"I'm sorry, you're probably freezing now. I'll get you home," Edward said getting up and offering her his hand.

"This place is amazing Edward. Thank you for bringing me here," she said.

He smiled and they both walked back to the car.

**

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:::

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"_What do you miss the most?" Edward asked one night as they sat eating dinner side by side on the cement floor._

_Bella contemplated for a second. "My mom. You?"_

"_My bedroom," Edward answered._

"_Your bedroom?"_

"_Yeah. I mean...of course I miss my parents but... I miss my privacy. I miss being... angry and not wanting to talk to anyone and just shutting myself in my bedroom."_

_Bella smiled. "Yeah. I miss that too."_

"_I miss...just...feeling," Edward said as he played with the food on his plate._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_When I first got here I was so...scared. I was so petrified and freaked out that all I could feel was fear. And now...now that it's been this long...I just feel...nothing. I'm not scared or sad or happy or anything. I miss just...feeling."_

_Bella watched as Edward stared at his food and wondered if she felt the same way. _

"_Yeah," she said, suddenly losing her appetite._

"_Are you scared?" Edward asked, turning to face her._

"_Of course I'm scared."_

"_What are you afraid of?"_

"_I'm afraid of everything. I'm afraid of this room. I'm afraid of the brick wall surrounding this place. I'm afraid of that bathroom. I'm afraid of him. I'm afraid of you..."_

"_Me?" Edward asked worriedly._

"_Yeah," Bella said, nodding her head and looking down at her hands._

"_Why?" _

"_Because you could leave. He could take you away and I've attached myself to you now. If you leave I'm...I don't even know what'll happen."_

_Edward hated seeing her like that and he knew he needed to make her feel better. He immediately rubbed at the thin piece of rope on her wrist and she smiled._

"_When I used to feel scared or confused or anything... I would go to this place near my house back home. It was beautiful, Bella. It was a large opening in the woods overlooking the river and during the day the sun would shine right down on it. I'm pretty sure I was the only person who knew about it, too. There was never anyone there. I could go at any time of the day and it was just...perfect."_

"_It sounds amazing," Bella said._

"_It was..." Edward said, frowning at the memory. He decided to regroup then. "It still is. I'm going to take you there one day. I'll show it to you so if you ever feel scared you can go there and all your worries will be gone."_

_Bella smiled._

"_I'm looking forward to that, Edward. I really am."_

_

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_

**Be nice to Charlie :)**

**Thank you again to everyone who is reading and reviewing and adding this to their favourites.  
I'm changing up my update day to Wednesday now because of school...I hope that's okay with everyone. **

**Reviews get teasers!**


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

Big thanks as always to **SabLuvsLogan.**

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**Chapter 11**

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Charlie paced the Cullen's living room that evening, not being able to sit still.

"Where did they go?" he cried.

"I don't know, Charlie. I'm sure they're okay though. Can you please sit down?" Esme said sounding incredibly worried.

"I can't sit down, Esme! I'm freaking out! Your son has my daughter out...who knows where! And who knows what they're doing!"

"That's your fault! Edward needed to clear his head after what you said to him!" Esme said, her voice getting louder.

"Well I was right! Bella has been through too much...her judgement is clouded..."

"She is not the only victim here!" Esme yelled while standing up.

Charlie paused.

"You keep pretending like Edward didn't go through the exact same thing Bella went through. He's suffering just as much as she is. But the difference is that he is putting her safety above everything else, Charlie. He cares for her more than anything and you have the nerve to tell him he's taking advantage of her?"

"He was lying on top of her, Esme. He's not keeping her safe...he's satisfying his own teenage hormones!"

"They said they weren't dating, Charlie. I believe them."

"I know what I saw, Esme."

Charlie was speaking in a condescending tone and Esme didn't like it.

"Charlie, did it ever occur to you that you just may have walked in at the wrong time? That maybe they were just playing around? That maybe they were telling the truth?"

"No."

Esme rolled her eyes and sat back down on the couch as Carlisle sat patiently beside her. There was a long pause until Charlie finally huffed and fell into the couch opposite Carlisle and Esme.

"What do we do about this?" he asked in a calmer voice.

"About what?"

"About Edward and Bella! We need to separate them or...something...I don't know!" Charlie yelled.

"Separate them?" Esme cried. "Have you lost your mind? Do you have any idea what would happen if you forced those two apart?"

"Well then what do we do? Forbid them from dating?"

"You can't forbid them from dating, Charlie. What's the big deal anyways?"

"What's the big deal anyways?" Charlie repeated, dumbfounded. "They sleep together. Every night. In my house. It was okay for a little while as they were coping from the trauma but if they're dating it is not okay anymore."

"Well we told Dr Aro about that. He's working on it."

"That fucker is doing shit all."

"Charlie! We pay him good money."

"Yeah. And what has he done? If anything they spend more time together! Do you always let them go upstairs to his bedroom and close the door?"

"Well she's not exactly here all that often. What about you? You're never even home to know what your teenage daughter is doing. For all we know, she could be seducing him!"

"She wouldn't do that!"

"Well Edward wouldn't take advantage of her!"

"He's a teenage boy. All he wants is sex."

"Enough!" Carlisle yelled from the couch. "You two are ridiculous! You are drifting away from the real matter at hand here. These two are inseparable. They spent four months side by side, never seeing anyone but each other...how do you expect them to act? Charlie, you want to separate them? You separate those two and Bella will fall into the deepest depression you have ever seen. She won't eat, she won't sleep, she won't do homework, she won't talk to you, she won't do anything."

Charlie was silent.

"They need professional help. Now, I agree with you about Dr Aro, I think he's done absolutely nothing so far but it's only been a couple sessions. Maybe he's just trying to make them more comfortable. Edward is extremely stubborn and when he doesn't want to do something, he won't do it."

When neither Esme nor Charlie said anything, Carlisle continued.

"Why don't we pay closer to attention to them throughout the next couple weeks? Let's see how they are together...really observe their behaviour. Charlie, watch Bella when she's alone...look to see if she's nervous or if she fidgets...and then watch her around Edward. And we'll do the same. And then we can go talk to Dr Aro and we can tell him what we want him to do."

They both nodded while looking down.

"Good. So get over your overprotective mother and father routine and think about what these kids really need from us. They're teenagers, if they want to date they will. That's not what they need our help with. And Charlie, don't ever imply again that what Bella went through was in any way worse than what Edward went through. It wasn't."

Charlie and Esme had both considerably calmed down throughout Carlisle's speech and they both realized how they'd overreacted. Charlie immediately felt bad as Esme was the first to apologize.

"You're right, Carlisle," Esme said in a soft voice. "I'm sorry for yelling, Charlie."

"I'm sorry too. I never meant to imply that what Bella is going through is worse than Edward. I know they went through the same thing. And we all went through the same thing as parents too so I really am sorry."

Esme nodded. There was a pause before Charlie spoke up again.

"I really am worried though," Charlie said, softly. "I don't know how to handle a teenage daughter under my roof...sometimes I overreact but...I don't think it's okay for them to be left alone too often."

"Yeah. I agree," Carlisle said. "I've noticed it too...they're becoming more comfortable with each other and you can see it. Edward always has his arm around her and she's always leaning into him. They don't even do it consciously anymore. I think it's inevitable that they will realize that dating each other is the easiest solution."

"But we can't prevent them from doing so..."Esme said

"No...And I wouldn't want to...but...we need to make sure they know they have to be careful," Carlisle said.

When Charlie left the Cullen's that night, he still didn't feel much better. He had no idea what the proper way of dealing with a teenager was and he knew his lack of experience was showing. He knew Bella would be angry with him but he had to explain his point of view. He briefly considered calling her mother, asking her what she would have done in his situation. He knew Renee would have handled it way better than he had but what was he supposed to do? Pretend it was okay that Edward was on top of her? Their lips had been inches apart and her hands had been trapped above her head. Edward had put her in that position, no doubt about it and Charlie's reaction was one any father would have had.

He sat on his recliner, watching the clock as he anxiously waited for Bella to come home. He knew he had to apologize to her so he calmed himself down with a cold beer. He didn't want to be riled up when she walked through that front door. He wanted to handle himself appropriately and hopefully come off as a parent who knew what he was doing.

When Charlie heard the sound of Edward's car in his driveway, he immediately got up to peek through the window. He thought maybe Edward would kiss her goodnight and his fears would be realized, but Bella merely smiled and exited the car before walking up the stairs to the front door.

When Bella walked through the door, she had every intention of walking straight up to her bedroom, not giving her father even a second look. However, as she entered her home, Charlie was already standing there and she had no choice but to greet him.

"Hi," she said, removing her coat and refusing to look him in the eyes.

"Where have you been?" he asked nicely.

Bella said nothing.

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"

Bella looked at him momentarily before turning her head back down to her feet, still not saying a word.

"Where were you?" he asked again, a little louder.

Charlie was starting to get frustrated with Bella's silence and his voice evoked it.

"I was out with Edward," Bella said. She looked into Charlie's eyes then with a fierce expression. "The guy who likes to take advantage of me."

Charlie had never seen his daughter with such anger in her eyes and he knew he had to be cautious.

"Bella..." he started.

"No Dad!" she yelled. "Edward has done nothing but be helpful. He is the sweetest most amazing person I have ever met and you accuse him of taking advantage of me!"

"Bella, I'm sorry, but..."

"I don't want to hear it! He is the only good thing that has happened to me since last May and you put him down! Ever since I met him he's protected me, he's been sweet to me, he's trusted me, and that's the way you thank him!"

Bella was seething but as she kept talking, she was on the verge of tears.

"Bella, I'm your father. I know Edward has been great but what am I supposed to do when I walk into his bedroom and see him on top of you?"

"You're supposed to wait for us to explain!"

"Explain what, Bella? I know what teenagers do, I used to be one."

"Not us," Bella yelled. "Dad, we're not a couple. The most we've done is hold hands, for crying out loud. You just walked in at the wrong time."

Charlie sighed. Although he knew Bella wasn't telling the whole truth because he knew what he saw, he didn't want to anger his daughter further. They both stood facing each other, no longer angry but frustrated. Bella was not going to forgive her father anytime soon for what he said to Edward and Charlie knew that.

"Bella...you have to understand why I freaked out," Charlie pleaded with her.

She paused for a second. "I know, dad. And I get that. It's understandable but you can't say stuff like that to Edward. You can't. He's too sensitive and self-deprecating on his own. What you said...was...horrible. He's not going to forget that easily."

Charlie nodded. "I'm sorry."

"I want you to apologize to Edward," Bella said.

"Bella..."

"I want you to tell him you didn't mean it and that it's not true...it's not what you believe. I want you to tell him how much you respect the fact that he cares for me...that he's protective of me...and I want you to tell him how you know how much I care for him."

Charlie nodded. "Okay."

"Good."

"Can I just say something without you getting angry?"

"Maybe," Bella said.

"I don't like you and Edward on the bed together when his door is closed. I spoke to Esme and Carlisle about this, Bella, and that behaviour won't be tolerated anymore. I know you two are close but you have to understand where we're coming from."

Bella huffed. "Fine, no more closed doors."

"And no more you and Edward on beds together?"

Bella rolled her eyes. She didn't agree and Charlie noticed. He knew the next thing he had to talk about.

"Bella... I really don't think it's a smart idea for you and Edward to become...intimate..."

"Why?"

Bella asked the question and immediately knew she shouldn't have said that. She should have told him they weren't intimate and they weren't planning on becoming intimate, but after the night she'd had, she'd wanted to kiss Edward and she wanted to know why her father thought it was a bad idea.

"Are you asking because you already are?" Charlie asked.

"No."

"I just think you've both been through a lot and you have mixed feelings about each other. I think if you started dating it would make things very complicated."

"Well, we're not dating."

"Good."

Bella headed to bed shortly after and when Edward came through her window, he noticed right away how strange she was acting.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, shrugging.

"Bella," Edward said, staring at her.

"It's nothing. It's just my dad."

"What did he say?"

"Same old stuff. That we shouldn't date and we spend too much time together, blah blah," Bella said, sitting down on her bed.

"Yeah. I guess he's not going to trust me now, right? Since he thinks I'm trying to...seduce...you?"

Edward smiled and Bella laughed.

"It's a good thing he doesn't know you spend every night here," Bella said.

"Man...Could you imagine what he would do if he knew?"

Bella laughed, thinking about the disaster of a situation it would be if her father knew about her nightly rituals.

Bella and Edward fell asleep shortly after since they were both fairly tired from the exhausting day.

* * *

The rest of the week was spent recuperating from the events of Sunday night. It had seemed to Bella that Edward had forgotten about what Charlie had said to him because he returned to being his normal self. What she didn't know was that Edward thought about those words nearly every second of the day.

When he grabbed her hand in his on Monday to lead her toward the cafeteria, she wrapped her fingers tighter around his and he wondered if she even wanted to hold his hand or if she was doing so because he had forced her to. On Tuesday, the same thoughts ran through his mind as he hugged her after she had gotten 100% on her pop quiz in biology.

Their touches had always been done unconsciously. Edward never refrained from placing his hand on her lower back to lead her to class. He never refrained from sliding a piece of hair that had come undone behind her ear. He never refrained from grabbing her hand, from hugging her, from making her laugh and smile, and he did so without thinking about it. But now, every move he made was overcalculated.

Was it okay to touch her?

Did she mind if he touched her?

Even after Charlie called him on Monday to apologize for the way he'd reacted, Edward still didn't feel better. There was a constant reminder in the back of his head telling him that Bella didn't know what she wanted and he was forcing himself on her.

On Thursday, all his qualms were settled. When they both walked into the hallway where Bella's locker was situated, she heard Edward groan beside her and when she turned her head to look at what he was looking at, she noticed a strange piece of paper hanging on every fourth locker.

"What is that?" Bella asked, thoroughly confused.

"A dance," Edward said, unhappily.

Bella felt uneasy with that notion and as the day progressed, she learned to hate the dance just as much as Edward.

When she walked into English class with Alice, she sat down at her desk and noticed Mike Newton staring at her strangely. She kept glancing back at him but he never got up to greet her. He merely smiled and looked away.

At the end of the class, he approached her, looking nervous.

"Hi Bella."

"Hi Mike."

Mike had gone back to being his usual self ever since Edward had 'forgiven' him but he usually kept his distance.

"I wanted to ask you something," he said.

"Okay, shoot," Bella said as she gathered her books and placed them in her school bag.

"Um...well...I was wondering...maybe...if you...umm...if you wanted to go to ...the dance...with...me."

"What?" Bella asked.

"Do you want to go to the dance with me?"

"Oh...wow. Umm...wow...Jeez...Mike...Umm...I...I don't do...dances..."

"Ookay..." he said, slowly.

"Yeah. Sorry. It's just...I wasn't planning on going...so...yeah...it's nothing personal though."

"Right...no...right. Well if you change your mind...you know where to find me."

"Yeah. Thanks."

Bella felt completely awkward after that encounter and when Edward saw her after class, he noticed the slight pink in her cheeks and wondered what was wrong. When she wouldn't tell him he decided he would find out later.

Edward found out at lunch time exactly what had Bella hot and bothered.

"Ugh!" she said, as she exited her Spanish class.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked.

Bella said nothing as she stomped toward the cafeteria. When she sat down at their usual table, everyone was already there and they immediately knew something was wrong.

"What's up Bella?" Emmett asked laughing.

"I hate dances! And I hate Forks! And I hate boys in Forks! And I hate boys and dances and Forks!"

"Whoa whoa whoa. Back up a bit," Emmet said, thoroughly amused.

"Mike Newton asked her to the dance this morning," Alice said, smiling.

Edward turned his head toward Bella. "What?" he asked.

"And Tyler asked her in Trig," Rosalie said.

"And Eric asked her in Spanish," Jasper added while chewing his sandwich.

Edward sat there, astounded. "What the fuck?" he said.

Bella looked at him and sighed. "It's been the worst morning," she said, throwing her head in her hands.

"They all asked you?" Edward said.

Bella nodded shyly.

"The posters were put up like 30 seconds ago!"

Alice was amused. "They have balls, Edward. They know what they want and they go for it," she said with a smirk.

Edward scrunched his eyebrows and Bella snorted.

"What?" Alice asked.

"They don't actually like me. They just want to secure a date. They've probably asked everyone."

They all rolled their eyes at Bella's naivety.

"Poor Bella. Every girl's dream is to be asked to a dance and you hate it," Rosalie said, smiling.

Bella ignored Rosalie and turned to Edward.

"Promise me I don't have to go to the dance with any of them," Bella said.

Edward was caught off guard with her request.

"What?" he asked.

"I don't want to go to the dance with Mike or Eric or Tyler."

Edward paused for a second then grinned. He had been thoroughly bothered with the notion that he hadn't even considered asking Bella to go to the dance with him when every other male species in the school had. He then realized he'd spent all week wondering if Bella wanted him to touch her or not and he realized how lucky he was. He shouldn't have been bothered by Bella's reactions when she hadn't shown any discomfort.

She was uncomfortable with Mike, Tyler, and Eric merely asking her to the dance. He's placed his arms around her, wrapped his entire body around hers and she'd smiled. He'd practically kissed her and she didn't seem uncomfortable.

Edward rejoiced because he knew he no longer had to pretend that Bella didn't want him near. He just needed to keep every other guy away from her and she'd be happy.

"Bella, don't worry. You don't have to go with anyone you don't want to go with."

He wrapped his right arm around her shoulder then as she leaned into him, with a smile on her face.

When the bell rang, indicating the end of their lunch, Bella and Edward headed to biology and when he noticed Mike Newton watching her as they walked into class, he purposely placed his hand on Bella's lower back, exactly where Mike could see, and he led her toward her seat.

After biology, Edward and Bella parted ways and she joined Alice and Rosalie in gym. While everyone was playing a game of badminton, Bella sat on the sidelines with Alice.

"I heard something happened between you and Edward this weekend," Alice said.

Bella's head immediately flung to the right, staring at Alice.

"How did you hear that?" she asked.

"I overhead my mom talking to Esme," Alice said, shrugging.

"Ugh."

"Spill," Alice said, turning toward Bella.

Bella saw the look in Alice's eyes and realized what Alice wanted. Alice wasn't looking for gossip, she legitimately wanted to know what happened. Bella realized that having girlfriends meant talking about boys so she decided to confide in Alice. She hoped Alice could help her wrap her head around what she was now feeling for Edward.

"We had...an...I don't know what it was," Bella said slowly.

Alice waited patiently for Bella to continue when she was ready.

Bella huffed. "We were in his bedroom..."

"I like where this is going," Alice said, smiling.

"Alice..." Bella chided.

"Sorry."

"We were in his bedroom...just...relaxing...and then I don't know we were playing around...and then..."

"Oh my god...get to the point...you're killing me!"

"We almost kissed," Bella blurted.

Alice's mouth fell open as she stared at Bella.

"Alice! Say something!"

Alice's face broke out into a huge grin.

"That's awesome!"

"No it's not awesome! We were on his bed and he was like...on...top...of me...and my dad walked in!"

Alice gasped. "Your dad walked in?"

"Yes, Alice. It was so horrible."

"That...sucks," Alice said.

"Yeah... and then my dad said some stuff and we left and Edward took me to this place and we decided that we shouldn't be kissing," Bella said, staring down at her hands.

"What?" Alice said, annoyed.

"Yeah...it's for the best..." Bella said, not sounding too sure of herself.

Alice heard the uncertainty in her voice.

"But you want to kiss him?" she asked.

"I don't know Alice...I don't know what I want. I'm so confused. I think he was right though...we spend too much time together... it's messing with my head."

"Well do you like him?"

"Of course I like him."

"I mean do you like...like him like him...can you see him as a boyfriend?"

"I've never had a boyfriend...I don't know what it means to want one."

Alice contemplated this and decided to ask about the typical symptoms girls have when they like someone.

"Do you feel nervous around him?" Alice asked.

Bella scrunched her eyebrows. "No," she said, shaking her head.

"Do you feel shy around him?"

"No...I feel perfectly myself."

"Well...that's cause you guys are going all backwards," Alice said, frustrated.

"How?"

"You already know too much about each other...you're practically dating anyways. All that's missing is the kissing part."

"We're not practically dating."

"Bella. He drives you to and from school. You see each other all the time during the day and even on weekends. You hold hands, you hug, you're always touching him. You're a couple without the sex part."

Bella was speechless.

"I don't know what to say," Bella said after a brief pause.

"What do you feel?" Alice asked.

"I don't know...It's too complicated, Alice. With everything that's happened it's just so...I don't know. Last week I didn't see him as anything other than Edward. And now I'm so confused. It's like...I'm excited to see him in a completely different way...but I don't' know what it means."

"It means you like him," Alice said.

Bella ignored her comment.

"We almost kissed and then we talked about it and then everything went back to normal and I'm glad it did because...I don't know...it could have been super awkward. I mean...what if my dad hadn't walked in on us? We for sure would have kissed...but then what?"

The bell rang then dismissing them from class and as they walked to the changing rooms, Bella no longer wanted to talk. She didn't want anyone at Forks High to hear about her dilemma with Edward. When they were changed, they went out to meet the guys in the parking lot.

"Hello girls," Edward said, wrapping his arm around Bella's waist when they approached. "Ready to leave?"

Bella nodded.

"Call me later, Bella," Alice said as she walked away.

"I will," Bella said. "Bye!"

"What was that about?" Edward asked.

"Girl stuff."

"Gross."

Bella called Alice that night before Edward came over and they finished the conversation they had started earlier that day. When Bella hung up the phone, she felt much better since Alice had reassured her it was only normal for her to start feeling differently since she was spending so much time him. Alice told Bella to take things slow and to see where things go. She also told her that if she ever needed someone to talk to, she was only a phone call away.

After her phone call with Alice, Bella called Esme to set up their first cooking lesson. They had both agreed that Sunday afternoons would be the best time and they should start as soon as possible. Bella was therefore going to go to the Cullen's home on Sunday for their first lesson and she was very excited.

When Edward and Bella woke up Sunday morning, he teased her about cooking with his mother.

"So you're going to have fun cooking with my mom?" he asked.

"Yes."

Edward laughed. "What are you going to cook?"

"I don't know. Food?"

"That sounds...fun...What are you guys gonna talk about?"

"I don't know, Edward. Your mom is pretty easy to talk to."

"She's going to ask you about boys, you know that right?"

"Well I'll tell her how much of a pain in the ass you are," Bella said, smiling.

He grinned.

"Are you sure you don't want to just come to the gym with me this afternoon?" Edward asked.

"Yes I'm sure. Cooking is much more valuable to me then muscles. Why do you want me to go to that gym so badly anyways?"

"I don't know. I want you to see it. It's nice there. You'd like it," Edward said, shrugging.

"I promise I'll see it eventually, Edward."

"Soon?" he asked.

Bella laughed.

"Yes. Soon."

"Good," he said.

"Are you going to leave now?" Bella said, grinning.

Edward gasped dramatically. "Don't even pretend like I annoy you," he said, wrapping her in a tight hug.

Bella giggled into his chest.

"Alright, I'm leaving," he said. "Have fun with my mom. I'll see you when I get home."

"Bye, Edward."

Edward climbed out of her window and she sat on her bed, sighing in satisfaction. Bella loved how easy it was for her to talk to him. She'd never experienced that with anybody before and she found herself missing him for a whole new reason. She missed his smile and the way he teased her. She bit her lip then in anticipation, not being able to wait until she got to the Cullen's, just to be closer to his scent.

Around noon, Charlie drove her to Edward's since he was on his way out and he told her to have fun. She exited the car and walked up the front door to ring the doorbell. When Esme answered, she had a wide smile plastered on her face.

"Come in, come in," Esme said, while opening the front door to her home wider so Bella could walk in.

"Thank you," Bella said shyly.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Esme said.

Bella chuckled and Esme led her toward the kitchen.

When Bella walked in she saw an abundance of food all over the counters. There were fruits and vegetables, bowls of oils and salts and spices as well as lean raw meat and pots and pans. It looked exactly like a cooking show.

"Wow," Bella said.

"I know. I got a little carried away. But I was so excited!" Esme said. "Edward made fun of me but I love doing stuff like this, Bella."

Bella smiled at Esme's excitement and continued to inspect all the food.

"So, for our very first meal, I think we should dive right in, and I'm going to teach you how to make a delicious home-made tomato sauce."

Bella smiled. "Great!"

"Yeah, and whatever we make you can take home to Charlie," Esme said.

"He'll love that," Bella laughed.

Esme started to gather up ingredients then, placing them in front of Bella.

"So how's school going, dear?"

"It's good, I guess," Bella said.

Esme laughed. "You're just like Edward. He never has anything to say about school."

"Yeah...it's pretty repetitive day after day."

"Ah, appreciate it while you can. When you're working you're going to wish you were still in school."

"I doubt that," Bella said.

Esme chuckled then turned serious as she began to explain the steps and the tricks to creating the perfect sauce. Bella listened carefully, not wanting to screw anything up.

As Bella chopped some vegetables, she noticed Esme staring at her. When she looked up at her, Esme merely smiled in wonder.

"What?" Bella asked, her cheeks turning pink.

"Oh, nothing. I'm really glad you wanted to do this, Bella. It feels like I have a daughter or something, you know? Someone to carry on the family recipes."

Bella smiled.

"Did you want a daughter?" Bella asked.

"Every woman wants a daughter," Esme said chuckling.

"I don't want to be rude but why didn't you have another kid after Edward?"

"Don't worry about asking questions, Bella. I want you to feel comfortable here. Especially if we're going to do this often. We tried to have another baby but it never worked out. Even Edward was difficult. He was my little miracle."

Bella smiled. "That's sweet."

"Yeah...we tried for two years after Edward and then we gave up, hoping it would occur naturally but it never did."

"Oh...I'm sorry."

"Oh it's fine. I get to enjoy moments like these with you and sometimes Alice and Rosalie. I could have fun without doing the actual parenting stuff."

Bella laughed. "Yeah I guess that's the fun part right?" she asked.

"And we could talk about boys," Esme said, grinning.

Bella laughed again. "You'll have to talk about boys with Alice and Rosalie. Sorry Esme."

"Fine Fine."

"You and my mom would get along fantastically," Bella said, smiling.

Esme smiled. "Why's that?"

"I don't know. You remind me of her. She asks me all the same things. She's a child at heart."

Esme smiled sympathetically.

"You know, Bella. I actually wanted to talk to you about this. I know Charlie isn't really used to having a teenager living with him...especially not a teenage girl...so if ever you need a...woman...to talk to...you know I'm always here, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Esme."

"Okay, good. As long as you know. Your mom is far away and I know you talk on the phone but it's not the same. Sometimes a girl just needs a nice big hug and her Chief of Police father isn't really the right person to give it to her."

Bella smiled.

An hour later, Bella knew all Esme's special secrets and as the sauce was simmering over the stove, Bella heard the front door open and her heart took off.

"Smells good in here," Edward yelled from the front door.

Bella immediately felt her whole body relax as his beautiful voice surrounded her. She smiled and continued to stir the big pot in front of her.

Edward walked into the kitchen then, his light grey t-shirt clinging to his chest and darkened from sweat.

"Hi ladies," he said, smirking.

"Edward, put some clean clothes on for crying out loud," Esme chastised while smiling.

Edward bent down to kiss his mother on the cheek before heading over to Bella.

"Hi, Bella," he said.

"Hi," she said shyly.

He leaned over the pot then and smelled the sauce.

"Smells delicious."

"Yeah? You don't. You're all sweaty!" she said.

"Hey! I don't smell!" Edward pouted.

"Yes you do. You're all wet too!"

Edward grabbed her then in a big hug, rubbing himself all over her.

"Edward! Gross! Put me down!"

"No, you smell like fresh sauce and I smell like sweat so I need to steal some of your good smell."

Esme watched her son as he held Bella in a tight hug, digging his face into her should as Bella laughed and giggled. The moment was so beautiful but she knew she had to respect both Carlisle and Charlie's wishes, and she shouldn't allow them to act like that in front of her.

"Edward, go shower please," Esme said.

Edward laughed and put Bella down before going upstairs to shower.

"You two are so strange," Esme said. "Alright, so the sauce has to simmer now for at least another few hours. In the meantime we can make some meatballs."

Esme took the package of meat and opened it up and proceeded to show Bella how to make perfect meatballs. When Edward returned downstairs, Bella was sitting on the counter with a big bowl of meat next to her, rolling meat balls onto a platter to be cooked.

Edward watched her momentarily as her lower lip was caught between her teeth in concentration. She looked adorable, he thought, as she rolled each meatball, desperately trying to get them perfect.

"Well that looks like fun," Edward said, momentarily scaring Bella since she didn't know he was watching her.

Bella gasped lowly when she saw him. Edward was standing against the wall in a pair of black jeans. The top of his underwear showing as his jeans were hung low on his hips. He wasn't wearing a shirt and his hair was still wet, falling in his eyes.

Bella immediately stopped what she was doing as she stared at him. She didn't know why she all of a sudden couldn't stop looking at Edward but she knew he looked good – really good.

"Bella?" Edward said, walking closer to her.

He stopped in front of her and placed his hand on her leg and she was surrounded with the smell of fresh Edward. Edward's hand on her leg was warm and firm and her breathing picked up as a result.

"Bella?" Edward said again.

Bella shook her head then, gathering her thoughts.

"Sorry. I just...I can't concentrate with you...like...that," Bella said, continuing to roll the meatballs.

"Like what?" Edward asked, smirking.

"Stop. You know like what. All...half naked...and stuff," Bella said, blushing.

"You can't concentrate when I'm shirtless?" Edward asked.

"Wipe that smirk off your face. I've just been deprived of good looking boys. It has nothing to do with you."

Edward pouted then smiled. "You called me good looking," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Whatever, it's just because of your new muscles. It has nothing to do with you," Bella said.

Edward laughed then remembered. "I thought you weren't turned on by muscles?"

**

* * *

**

:::

* * *

"_Do you find Mathew McConaughey hot?" Edward asked while flipping through a magazine._

"_What?" Bella said, pausing from painting her toenails with an old bottle of red nail polish she found._

"_Mathew McConaughey? Do you think he's good looking?"_

"_Edward, I don't even remember what he looks like."_

_Edward flipped the magazine over so she could see. _

"_Meh. I'm not really turned on by muscles," she said, looking back down at her toes._

"_What?" Edward asked._

"_What?"_

"_What the hell girl isn't turned on by muscles?" Edward asked._

"_I don't know. It's not like he has a cute face. He just has a nice body. His voice is annoying and I don't know...no he's not hot."_

"_Huh. Interesting," Edward said, as he continued to flip through the magazine._

"_How old is that thing anyways?" Bella asked._

"_I don't know. How old is that nail polish?"_

"_Really old."_

_Bella and Edward's days had come down to waking up, changing the date on the calendar, and riffling through one of the many boxes, to find something to entertain them with. Since they'd found out they were surrounded by the brick wall, they had lost all hope in trying to escape. Bella wanted to return upstairs and see if they could find anything but Edward had been so discouraged that he refused to go. Bella wasn't able to do so alone so she remained in the basement, even when the man left for long periods of time._

_The piles and piles of boxes had allowed them to keep themselves busy. They found a monopoly board game one day and played every day for an entire week until they were sick of it. The man with the boots even played with them once. They had found the situation very strange but he laughed and brought them McDonald's and they ignored his behaviour because it was another person to play with and different food to eat._

_They found crossword books and did them together. Bella would call out the questions as Edward would answer them or vice versa. They found colouring books and crayons as they sat and coloured all day and even stuck their coloured pictures on the walls with thumbtacks. One day Bella was so bored she started to clean. She didn't have any cleaning products but she organized all the boxes into a neat pile and she made all their coloured pictures on the wall straight so they looked like paintings._

_The man had seen her work and at first she'd been scared because she reorganized his things, but he simply smiled at her, told her good job, and brought her more McDonald's which she shared with Edward._

_

* * *

_

**This was a little bit of a filler chapter. Not much happens here but it's needed for the story to advance. **

**I'm assuming you guys can now see just how strange their kidnapping really was. If you're confused...don't worry. Everything will be answered in the end. A couple people have asked me now about whether it's a HEA...and yes...don't worry. I can definitely say it will be without giving anything away.**

**Another thing that some of you are worried about are the friends. How Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett seem so nonchalant about everything. This will all be explained also. The friends story of how they actually spent their summer will be revealed two or three chapters from now. I promise there's a reason for everything!**

**Let me know what you're thinking! How do you find cooking with Esme? Do you like that Bella is confiding in Alice about Edward?**

**Reviews get teasers for the next chapter where we bring Jessica Stanley into the picture.**


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.

**Please go listen to that song if you haven't already done so...it's just..._sigh_...so great...and it describes these two fantastically.**  
**(Link on my profile) **

To the amazing **SabLuvsLogan**...Thank you for everything!

**

* * *

******

Chapter 12

* * *

"Isn't it amazing how no matter how many times we come here, it still manages to suck just as much as that first day?" Edward said as he stepped out of his car and shut the door.

Bella chuckled. "Yeah, I don't think we'll ever get to that point where we can't wait to get here."

"I know. I thought it would be less annoying after a few weeks. But fuck, it's been what? Four weeks now? This is still just as aggravating."

Bella chuckled at how annoyed Edward was as they both walked into the small waiting room of Dr Aro's office. Their bi-weekly appointments had fallen into their routine now so the small office was very familiar. Bella smiled at the receptionist before taking her seat in her usual chair and waiting for her name to be called along with Edward's.

Dr Aro was already waiting in his chair when they walked in and he smiled politely at them.

"Good evening," he said.

Edward and Bella merely smiled at him before sitting down on the leather couch.

"How was your day?" he asked, attempting to make light conversation.

Edward shrugged his shoulders and Bella answered "fine".

"That's good." He waited for them to say anything further and when they didn't he figured he should just start the session. "So I think we should do things a little differently today. This is our seventh session and we've talked a little bit about your past but I was wondering about how you feel now. I want to know if you guys have anything specific you wanted to talk about. Something that's bothering you, something you need to get off your chest, anything really."

Edward didn't say anything and Bella shrugged her shoulders. "Not really," she said.

Dr Aro let out a deep sigh. "Listen," he said before taking a brief pause. "I'm a little worried about how nonchalant the two of you are about all of this. You guys seem...well...I don't want to put words in your mouths or assume anything but...you seem...normal. Like nothing traumatic happened to you and you don't understand why you're here."

"How are we supposed to act?" Edward said curtly while lifting his head to look at Dr Aro.

"I'm not saying you're supposed to act in a specific way, Edward, but you're also not supposed to act so casually...so laid-back. I don't want to tell you how to feel...I want you to tell me that...but Edward you don't ever feel...scared?"

"Of course I'm scared," Edward said.

"What are you afraid of?" Dr Aro asked gently.

Edward hated that he had let those words slip from his mouth but he found himself wanting to answer Dr Aro's question. He was always keeping up a charade for Bella but suddenly Dr Aro's question needed an answer.

"Of...anything...everything..."

"Of it happening again?"

Edward paused before answering. "Yeah. I mean in my head...I know that it probably won't. But...it could. But that's not all I think about...I mean...I don't know. I'm afraid but I don't let it take over my life."

"How do you that? That takes years of practice for some. Everyone is different and people deal with things differently than others but how do you forget something that should be so pressing in your mind?"

"I don't know. I usually think of something else. When I'm in school I focus on my classes, when I'm with Bella I focus on her when I'm at the gym I focus on my workout. If I'm alone in the locker room I sometimes feel like...like I'm being watched but I just quickly get out of there and that's all."

"Where do you feel safest?"

"In Bella's bedroom," Edward blurted.

Bella smiled.

"Why Bella's bedroom?"

"Because we're both there...together. Everything that happened...all the bad stuff...was when we were separated. When we were together we were just...together." Edward gently reached over to grab Bella's hand. "He never bothered us or did anything when the two of us were together...so...when we're in Bella's bedroom I just feel like nothing in the world could take me away from there."

Dr Aro nodded slowly. "Bella? What about you? Where do you feel safest?" he asked.

"Anywhere with Edward," she said, clutching his hand tighter.

Dr Aro nodded with a small smile. "You know that's one of the reasons why you're here, right? Because you only feel safe around Edward."

Bella nodded slowly.

"Bella you have to know Edward can't protect you from everything."

"Yes I can," Edward said, challenging the doctor.

"No, Edward. You can't. And the fact that you think that way won't help Bella in her recovery."

"I know he can't," said Bella. "And that's not the point. I just know that if I'm with him, I'm okay. I don't care what happens as long as I'm near him."

"Bella, that's a heavy toll to place on Edward."

"I don't mind," Edward said, shrugging his shoulders.

Dr Aro ignored Edward's statement and continued. "Anything can happen to Edward..."

"Nothing is going to happen to me," Edward said, interrupting him.

"Edward, the fact that you are here right now proves that false. Bella, it's not good to depend on another person like that."

"I don't depend on him I just...I trust him and he's easy to talk to...I just like having him as a friend. Everyone has friends that they like to be around."

"Okay. So if I asked Edward to leave the room right now, how would you react?"

"I wouldn't care, that's not what I'm saying..."

Bella was trying to explain herself but she realized that it didn't matter what she said. She had admitted to needing Edward's presence and she knew that was a mistake.

"Edward, please step out of the room," Dr Aro said.

"What?" he asked.

"Please... Just go wait outside until I call you back in."

Edward slowly got up and started to head toward the door as Bella watched him with wide eyes. When Edward stepped out the door, Dr Aro turned to Bella.

"How do you feel now?"

"Fine," she said, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

"Why the sudden change, Bella? This is what unnerves me. What is it about him that calms you?" he asked.

Bella huffed a low laugh. "He was there...through everything. He was there to comfort me, to hug me, to hold me when I cried. He told me when to close my eyes and cover my ears...he sheltered me from all the...bad that surrounded us. He was there for me...everyday...for four months. When he's not around I just feel...scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Everything."

"Of being kidnapped again?"

"No..." Bella said, shaking her head. "Of having to do something against my will. Of being hurt. Of being alone."

"I understand that, Bella. And I think these are normal reactions and feelings based on what you've been through. And that is why I want to help you. Both of you." Dr Aro let out a deep sigh before giving Bella a small smile and calling Edward back into the room. When Edward took his seat next to Bella, they all sat in silence as Dr Aro thought through the next thing he wanted to say.

"I'm very proud of both of you for today's session. You've admitted to having fears and doubts and that is a big step. I want to thank you for being open with me and I truly hope you don't regret any of it because when I say you can trust me, I really mean it."

Bella and Edward nodded with small smiles.

"However, based on everything I've heard tonight, you have to know what I'm going to say. You are too dependent on each other. You need each other more than two people should and you're not even aware of it – neither of you. What you went through was traumatic. You seem to think that because you had each other it wasn't as traumatic and that's fine...I won't tell you what you should be feeling. But that doesn't change the fact that you need to heal separately."

"But we went through this together," Bella said, immediately protesting his idea. "It only makes sense that we get over it together."

"Bella, if that is the case, you and Edward will never be able to spend a day apart."

"So what?" Edward asked.

"Edward, what happens when you get older and you get married and have children? What happens to Bella then?"

"I'll be over it by then," Bella said.

"Not if you don't start working on it."

"It's only been like a month and a half since we've been back. These things take time...give me...time."

"I know they take time, Bella. That's what I'm saying. You will always postpone this until it gets to the point that you've attached yourself completely to him. You need to work on it now."

"What exactly do you think we need to work on?" Edward asked slowly.

"On doing things on your own. Bella, you need to get some separation from Edward."

"But..." Bella started, suddenly at a loss for words. "I...I don't want separation from him."

Dr Aro's features softened. "I know that," he said softly.

Bella was looking down at her hands, and Edward noticed how frightened she looked. He shot Dr Aro a menacing glare and wrapped his arm her shoulder, pulling her close.

"You're not understanding what I mean by separation. I don't want you to stop seeing each other."

"It sure sounds like that's what you want," spat Edward.

"I want the two of you to slowly start spending time apart. Slowly," Dr Aro said, emphasizing the word. "I don't want you to stop seeing each other." He took a deep breath. "I've been thinking about this, and there are little things you two can do differently. Edward, you said you pick Bella up for school every morning. Maybe Bella you can start driving yourself and you can meet up at school. You can spend lunch together, that's fine but maybe at the end of the day, you two can go your separate ways until the following day at school."

Bella and Edward said nothing.

"You can start off slow. Tomorrow morning, Bella can drive herself to school and that's it. You follow your regular routine as per usual and everyday you'll slowly earn some separation."

Silence.

"Bella, is there a problem with you driving yourself to school? Your father told me he has a truck for you to use whenever you please."

"It's not a problem," she whispered.

"You need to try. You need to learn to spend time with each other because you want to and not because you need to. Bella, if you need Edward for comfort, that is perfectly understandable and I would never want to take that away from you. In fact, it's nice having someone to go to in times of trouble. But if Edward has to leave for a week, you need to be able to say goodbye, I'll miss you, see you when you get back. You're not at that point. You're nowhere near that point."

Bella nodded slowly.

"I want to get you to that point, Bella."

Bella and Edward left Dr Aro's that night in silence. Edward drove her home and neither said a word as they contemplated, for the first time, just how much Dr Aro could do for them.

Edward knew he was being selfish but he wanted Bella to need him. He liked comforting her and if she didn't need him then he would be left all alone. He'd never cared about anyone the way he cared about her and he knew part of that was because he was cared for in return. Edward needed Bella just as much as she needed him and even though he wanted it for both of them to get over the events of the summer, he didn't want to lose Bella in the process.

That night, when Edward climbed through her bedroom window, Bella knew he wouldn't be happy with what she wanted to tell him.

She wanted to try.

When she sat him down on her bed and softly spoke the words that let Edward know she wanted to drive herself to school in the morning, she saw the sadness, the hurt, and the pain flash across his features. She pulled him into a tight hug and assured him it wasn't anything he did but that she needed to see if she could do it for her. And when he nodded slowly, the smile didn't reach his eyes and she felt the tears on the brink of hers but she knew she had to stay strong.

So the following morning, Edward left Bella's house with the same sadness etched across his features and he returned home to shower, get ready, and drive alone to school for the first time since last April. When he pulled into the school parking lot, he desperately searched for Bella's truck but it wasn't there. He sat impatiently in his car, watching the entrance but her truck never came. When his friends came to rap on his window, asking him what he was doing, he got out and stood as they chattered meaninglessly before classes but he hadn't been listening to a single word.

When he saw Bella's truck pull into the parking lot, he realized she was fine and this small task was one small leap that took her away from him. But no matter how much he hated it, he agreed because Bella wanted him to. He was unable to plaster a real smile across his face and Bella knew it but she had to try again. So on Tuesday, she once again drove herself to school and she did the same on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Edward watched as Bella's red abomination of at truck turned into the parking lot and it was loud and it clanked and he watched as she parked it right beside his Volvo and when he looked up to meet her eyes he saw the tears streaming down her face and his heart broke. He ran for the door and yanked it open as she threw her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Worry laced his voice but he kept on stroking her soft hair while rubbing circles on her back.

"Nothing," she said, between sobs.

"Why are you crying?"

And the truth was, Bella didn't know. She had been fine all morning as she dressed and got ready for the day. She was fine while she ate breakfast with her father. She was fine when she pulled the truck out of the driveway and drove herself to school. And then she turned into the school parking lot and she saw the sadness still plastered on Edward's face and she realized it wasn't worth it.

She had proven to herself that she was capable of this small task – small yet meaningful. She had the guts to tell Edward what she wanted and she followed through with it and now that she knew she was capable, she was making the choice of riding with Edward because she wanted to and not because she needed to – not because she had no other choice.

"I want you to drive me from now on," she said, wiping her face. "I did it, Edward. I drove myself here and I was perfectly fine but I want you to drive me."

And then he understood. He knew exactly what she meant and he realized what it had all been about. She wasn't trying to heal without him – she was trying to heal for him. And that small realization – small yet meaningful – put the grin right back on his face as he hugged her again and they walked together, hand in hand, into school.

During last period, Bella sat on a bench against the gym wall, swinging her badminton racket between her legs, hoping she could get away with not having to play an actual match, when Jessica Stanley approached her.

"Hi Bella," she said.

Bella scrunched her eyebrows. "Hi...Jessica..." she said slowly.

"Are you also trying to get out of playing a game?"

Bella chuckled. "Yeah."

Jessica smiled and sat down next to her.

"So...we never really had a formal introduction. Sorry about that."

"Oh no, it's fine."

"I know you're new to Forks and you probably don't know that many people so if you want we could be friends."

"Oh...um...yeah, sure."

"Maybe we could hang out after school or something? Maybe go to a movie this weekend?"

Bella contemplated that idea and realized she had no reason to say no.

"Yeah...sure...that sounds good."

"Alright...how about tomorrow night?"

"Okay...sure. That sounds good. Just us two?"

"Yeah. It'll give us a chance to get to know each other."

Jessica got up to join her other classmates as Bella was once again left alone on the bench. The whole encounter had happened so quickly that she didn't know what to think. When Alice and Rosalie approached her, begging her to find out what happened, she simply told them the truth and they shrugged their shoulders and played another match.

Edward however, had not been so uncaring.

"You're going to a movie? With Jessica Stanley?" he asked as they stood by their vehicles in the parking lot before heading home.

"Yes," Bella said, nodding.

Edward paused and took a second to think. "No," he said, shaking his head.

"Excuse me?"

"She must have an ulterior motive. Why does she want to go to the movies with you?"

"Hey! Maybe she wants to be my friend!" Bella said, sounding offended.

"Jessica Stanley is one of the most manipulative girls I know. Did she say anything strange?"

"No, Edward."

"Nothing at all?"

Bella laughed. "Look, Edward, I found it weird too but she said we should hang out and we're just going to watch a movie, what's the worst that could happen?"

Edward finally backed down but the idea still wasn't sitting well with him. As he watched Bella leave to drive herself home from school, he headed to Port Angeles to pick up the one thing that would calm his worries.

That night, he lightly knocked on Bella's window with a big smile on his face. She opened the window and noticed him standing there with his arm behind his back.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing behind him.

"A present," he said, smiling.

"You know how I feel about presents."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He brought his hand forward then and placed a black cell phone in her palm. "I programmed it with some useful phone numbers...mine...my parents...Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper...your dad...I even took a picture of myself for an I.D. See?"

Edward flipped the phone open and after hitting a few buttons she saw him grinning in a picture with his hair messily hanging in his face and she laughed.

"Anyway...it's for security. And now I can call you whenever I want without worrying about having to talk to the Chief."

Bella smiled and bit her lip. "What's the other reason you bought me a cell phone?"

"There is no other reason. Everyone should have a cell phone...you included."

Bella took the phone, thanked Edward, and spent the rest of the night fiddling around with it and learning its functions.

The following evening, Jessica came to pick Bella up so they could head to Port Angeles and watch their movie.

"Are you sure you want to go?" Edward asked her while they waiting in Bella's front entrance.

Bella smiled. "Edward," she chastised.

"Okay, okay, fine. I'm sorry. Make sure you call me if there's anything you need. And text me every hour to let me know everything is okay."

"Yes, dad."

Edward smiled. "Alright, so I guess...have fun with Jessica?"

"Yeah...What are you doing tonight?"

"Um...I don't know. I'll probably hang out with Emmett and Jasper if they're not with Alice and Rosalie. I don't know. I'll do something. Don't worry about me."

"The same way you're not worrying about me?"

"Hey. It's my job to worry about you," Edward said, smiling and stroking her cheek.

Bella smiled as her cheeks tinted pink. "This is our first Friday night apart," she said, suddenly realizing what this night entailed.

"I know...it feels weird," Edward said.

"Yeah. It feels really weird."

"If you want to change your mind..."

Bella stared at him with a hand on her hip.

"Come on, Bella. We can sit on the couch, watch movies, order some Chinese food...it'll be warm and comfortable and nice," he said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"Mmm...That does sound appealing," she said, leaning into him. "But, I'm still going."

Edward groaned and let her go. They heard Jessica's car pull into the driveway then and Edward frowned.

"Just keep me posted, okay?"

"I promise I will, Edward."

After hugging Bella goodbye, Edward watched as she got into the car with Jessica before getting into his own car and heading home. When he walked into his room, he realized he had absolutely no idea what to do with himself. He tried to think back to before the summer and what he usually did on Friday nights but he fell short. He couldn't remember what that time was like. Bella had been gone for a mere ten minutes and he already missed her. He sat on his bed with his cell phone in his hand, telling himself to wait at least an hour before texting her. He decided to call Emmett instead.

"Eddwarrrdddd" Emmett answered enthusiastically.

"Hey Em," Edward said with a smile on his face

"What's up?"

"Not much...What are you up to tonight?"

"Nothing really...Alice and Rosalie are getting their faces done or some shit like that so I'll probably just end up chilling with Jazz."

"Mind if I join you guys?" he asked nonchalantly.

Emmett laughed. "Like you have to fucking ask. Of course man."

"Who's place?"

"I really don't know. Come by my house when you can and we'll see from there."

"Alright. Thanks Em," Edward said.

Edward hung up the phone, hopped in the shower, got ready and headed over to Emmett's.

Meanwhile, Bella sat uncomfortably in the front seat of Jessica's car, nervously fidgeting with the strap of her purse as they both talked meaninglessly about school and Forks.

"So Bella, tell me a little bit about yourself," Jessica said.

"Oh...well I don't know...what do you want to know?"

"I don't know...anything...everything. If we're going to be friends we need to know stuff about each other. Right now I don't know anything."

"Okay...well...I'm from Phoenix, I just moved here a couple weeks ago..."

"I know that!"

"Well what do you want to know?"

"Tell me the juicy stuff. Tell me about your first boyfriend or something."

"Oh..." Bella laughed. "I've never had a boyfriend."

"Really?" Jessica asked, seeming genuinely shocked.

"Nope."

"Huh...Are you a virgin?"

Bella turned to look at Jessica. "What?" she asked.

"Are you a virgin?" Jessica repeated.

"I...I..." Bella was at a loss for words as she tried to answer Jessica's question.

"I'll take that as a yes," she said with a small smile. "How far have you gone with a boy then?"

Bella was suddenly very uncomfortable with the turn in conversation. "Um...can we talk about something else?" she asked.

"Like what? This is what girls talk about, Bella. What do you talk about with Alice and Rosalie? Clothes? How boring. I want to know about boys."

Bella rolled her eyes. "I've never had a boyfriend or anything close to one so that will be a very boring conversation. What about you?" Bella asked, feigning interest.

"Well...I've had boyfriends...obviously. I don't have one right now but I did make out with Tyler yesterday...he was alright. Not as good as Mike but better than Eric. Definitely not as good as Edward but I'm assuming you know how great he is," she said with a wink.

Bella's head quickly shot to the left so she could look at Jessica. "What?" she asked.

"Well...you know...Edward is just amazing...God...his hair and his eyes..."

Jessica went on and on about how great of a kisser Edward was and how Eric, Tyler, and even Mike couldn't compare to him. She talked about his lips and his hands and Bella found herself gritting her teeth and clenching her fists at Jessica's words. She didn't want to hear her talk about Edward that way. Bella suddenly got very defensive because Edward was hers. Jessica shouldn't know what his lips felt like.

As Bella sat trying to control her jealousy, Edward was sitting on the couch between Emmett and Jasper in Emmett's basement, playing Halo. Even though Edward was having a good time, he couldn't get Bella out of his mind. He wondered what she was doing, what they were talking about, if Jessica was making her uncomfortable. He'd decided that it'd been long enough and he decided to text her to find out how she was doing.

While Edward was pulling out his cell phone and sending his first text of the evening, Bella was still sitting just as uncomfortably in Jessica's car. When Jessica started describing her kiss with Edward, using vivid imagery and imaginative words, Bella couldn't take it anymore.

"Jess...Edward is actually a really good friend so I'd rather not hear about who he kisses. Thanks."

Jessica's mouth dropped open at Bella's outburst. A mischievous smile appeared across her face as she spoke her next words. "Bella...you've kissed Edward, right?"

"No. Why would you think that?"

"Well...I don't know. I just assumed. I know you're not dating but I figured you would be all over him. I mean you do like him, right? You find him attractive? Who wouldn't?"

"I like him as a friend. And yes he is attractive but no...we haven't kissed...it's not like that for us."

"Is it because he doesn't want to kiss you? Poor girl. Maybe you're just not his type. It took a while before I got him to kiss me. Like forever. Trust me. I asked him on so many dates and he always said no. I didn't care that much because he said no to everyone so don't be offended. Just keep working at it."

Bella was offended at Jessica's remark and the more she talked, the more she regretted her decision to join her. As she seethed next to Jessica, wishing she could come up with an appropriate retort, she received a text from Edward.

_Still alive? - E_

Bella answered back immediately, thankful for the distraction.

_Unfortunately - B_

_Hah! I told you it wouldn't be fun. What are you guys talking about? - E_

_How great of a kisser you are - B_

_Bella, don't listen to anything she says, please - E_

_Are you denying that you're a good kisser? - B_

_No I'm a great kisser but I'll let you find out on your own ;) - E_

_Apparently you have strong hands...I don't know what that means but anyways. I shouldn't have come. You were right - B_

_Do you want me to come get you? I can be there as soon as possible - E_

_Nah. We haven't even gotten to the theatre yet. She'll shut up while the movie is playing - B_

_I wouldn't count on that, Bella. Text me if you want me to come get you, okay? - E_

_Will do. Have a good night - B_

_You too. And please don't listen to her - E_

"Who are you texting?" Jessica asked.

"No one," Bella muttered.

"It's Edward, isn't it? You're so lucky. I can't believe it. If I were to be kidnapped I'd want it to be with Edward Cullen too."

Bella stared at Jessica then realizing that she really was dumber than she looked.

"Careful what you wish for," Bella said through clenched teeth.

Bella couldn't believe what she had just said and as Jessica tried to explain herself, Bella merely turned her head and stared out the window. She wanted to punch, kick and spit on her all at the same time.

"Well I didn't mean it like that. Obviously I don't want to be kidnapped. But stuck in a basement with Edward for four months doesn't sound all that bad, if you know what I mean. We would entertain each other," she said, winking.

"Jessica, you have no idea what you're talking about," Bella spat.

Jessica saw how angry Bella was getting so she decided to back down.

"You're right, Bella. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I was just saying you were lucky to have Edward with you, that's all."

"I know I was," Bella said firmly.

They continued to drive in silence until they finally pulled into Port Angeles' theatre parking lot. After buying their tickets, Bella made her way to the concession stand to get something to drink.

"Hmm...Should I get popcorn? I really want some but the butter is really fattening. I really don't need the extra calories."

Bella rolled her eyes and ordered a small coke while waiting for Jessica to make up her mind. The boy behind the counter was watching Bella, looking her up and down but Bella failed to notice. After handing her her drink, he winked at her and was about to ask for her name, but Jessica stepped up instead.

"Hi," she purred. "I'll just have a diet 7up please," Jessica said, sloppily biting her lip.

Bella was staring at her as the boy ignored Jessica and continued to watch Bella as he filled a cup with 7up.

As they walked away, Jessica jumped up and down in glee. "He was so cute! I should go ask for his number. Was he checking me out?"

"I really don't know. But yeah he was pretty cute," Bella said.

"Oh, are you into him? I will totally back down if you can get your first kiss from him. He was really cute."

Bella briefly looked over her shoulder again to take another look at the boy behind the counter. He had shaggy brown hair that hung in his bright blue eyes. She had thought he was pretty good looking and as he smiled at her, she smiled back and blushed. But he was all wrong. His hair was too dark and his eyes too blue – they were nothing like the bronze of Edward's hair and the green of his eyes. His smile was also off. It wasn't sweet and genuine like Edward's, and it hadn't instinctively made her smile.

"No it's okay, go ahead. You can ask for his number," Bella said.

They walked into the theatre then and chose their spot as they sat down to watch the movie. It was mediocre at best and contrary to what Bella thought, Jessica did not stop talking. Apparently it didn't matter if the movie wasn't any good, Jessica said as long as there were hot guys it was okay. Bella was starting to think that was the only thing Jessica knew to talk about. Bella chuckled and smiled at everything Jessica said. She added a 'yeah' and 'mmhmm' when needed, but she mostly sat, discreetly texting Edward about her horrible evening.

_I'm so bored - B_

_Aren't you watching a movie? - E_

_Yes - B_

_Did she stop talking? - E_

_Nope - B_

_I just laughed out loud and Emmett and Jasper want to know why I'm laughing by myself - E_

_Did you tell them about my unfortunate whereabouts? - B_

_Yep. They feel sorry for you. - E_

_They should. Alright, people are staring. I need to put my phone away, I think it's giving off too much light. Distracting from all the...'hot' guys. - B_

_You don't find the guys hot? - E_

_Nah. Too many muscles ;) - B_

_Oh Bella. I miss you. Come home soon - E_

_As soon as I can – B_

As they were leaving the theatre later that night, Jessica ranted and raved about how great the movie was as Bella pretended to have enjoyed it just as much as she had.

"Alright, so where do we go now?" Jessica asked.

"Umm...home?"

"Home? Bella, it's Friday night! Its only 9:00. We can't go home. Let's hang out in Port Angeles a little bit."

"Why?" Bella asked.

She really really really wanted to go home to Edward.

"So we can talk some more. I still don't really know all that much about you."

Bella groaned inwardly. "You know... my dad doesn't want me home too late..."

"Don't worry, Bella. Look I know this bar that doesn't check I.D. down here. It's a little sketchy but don't worry, everyone there is super nice. We'll go have one drink, and then we'll leave. You'll be home by 11. Okay?"

Bella wasn't all that thrilled with the plan but she knew Jessica was the one driving and since she wanted to stay, she had to do what she wanted to do. She realized one drink didn't sound all that bad so she followed Jessica down the darkened streets of Port Angeles until they reached their destination.

"Here we are," Jessica said.

Bella looked around her, not being able to see a bar. "Where?" she asked.

"Down there," Jessica said, pointing to a battered staircase.

Bella squinted her eyes and tried to make out the bar in the darkness. On this particular street, there were hardly any lights and as she stared at the staircase, she desperately tried to find the location of the bar.

"I don't see it," Bella said, nervously.

"Bella, don't worry. I've been here hundreds of times. We just go down those stairs and we turn right and the door is right there."

Jessica grabbed her by the hand then. "Jessica, wait," Bella said.

But Jessica didn't wait. She continued to tug on Bella's hand until they were descending the staircase. Every step Bella took made her heart beat faster. Her breaths were heavy and she gripped Jessica's hand even tighter – not in comfort the way she gripped Edward's, but in pure fear. The twenty stairs that lead down to the bar had felt like a hundred and when they reached the bottom it was completely black.

Bella was suddenly at a loss for breath as she let out a big gust of air before crouching down as she remembered that fateful day. Flashes of her alarm clock being turned off, her train coming late, and the sidewalk being blocked off were invading her mind. She remembered descending the staircase into the subway underground and she remembered the man – the man who chased her down that path until he covered her head and forced her to live in his basement for four months.

She began hyperventilating as she couldn't get enough air to fill her lungs.

"Bella? Bella, are you okay?" Jessica cried.

Bella could hardly hear the words coming out of Jessica's mouth as she remembered everything that led to the events of the summer. The staircase they just climbed down reminded her too much of the staircase leading down to that basement. The darkened hallway smelled of garbage and sewage and she simply clenched her eyes shut, hoping she would simply disappear from the area and find herself back in her bedroom in Edward's tight embrace.

"Bella! Please answer me! Should I call your dad? Shit...where's my cell phone?"

Jessica was frantically looking through her purse to find her phone so she could call someone back in Forks. Bella had heard Jessica say that she was going to call her dad and she immediately knew she didn't want that happen.

Between ragged breaths, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and said one word and Jessica immediately knew what she had to do.

"Edward," Bella whispered.

Jessica nodded and quickly looked through the phone book to find his number. The second she did, she hit call. Edward picked up on the first ring.

"Please tell me you're home," he said.

"Edward?" Jessica cried.

"Bella?" Edward asked sounding worried.

"Edward, it's Jessica," she said out of breath. She sounded completely panicked and Edward could feel his heart rate picking up. "You need to come get Bella...now."

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**Ah! **

**So...no flashback this week...there will be one next week...a little bit about the kidnapper will be revealed...we'll learn his name for starters which I'm pretty sure you can all guess...it's not supposed to be a big surprise.**

**Review for a teaser to next weeks chapter. I also put up a different teaser on the Fictionators Teaser Monday segment. So check it out if you want to be...teased...more...**

**And stay tuned...next week is...EDWARD TO THE RESCUE!**


	14. Chapter 13

**Thank you to everyone who is rec'ing this story and who is reading, reviewing and adding it to their favourites!  
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******Also...I'd like to welcome all new readers...I'm glad you decided to stop by :)**

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.

As always, thanks go out to my amazing beta **SabLuvsLogan**

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Chapter 13

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"Dude, I swear to God, I would rather fuck Mrs. Cope then see Lauren Mallory naked."

"Emmett, that is ridiculous!" Jasper exclaimed.

"Why is that ridiculous?"

"Cause Mrs. Cope is like a hundred years old!"

"Exactly! That goes to show just how badly I would not want to fuck Lauren Mallory."

The three of them had gotten sick of playing video games so they had moved away from the TV to casually stand around Emmett's kitchen. They were drinking and grabbing a bite to eat when Emmett and Jasper started arguing over who the hottest girls at Forks High were. Edward merely laughed at how each tried to convince the other they were right.

"I'm not talking to you about this anymore. If you were single and Lauren Mallory was naked in front of you, you would fuck her. And that's that."

"No, I wouldn't," Emmett said.

Jasper and Emmett continued to yell as Edward shook his head and laughed. When his phone went off in his pocket, he smiled, knowing exactly who was calling.

"Please tell me you're home," he said as he picked up after the first ring, casually strolling into the family room so Jasper and Emmett wouldn't overhear his conversation.

"Edward?"

He heard his name being called in distress but the voice hadn't really sounded like Bella's.

"Bella?" he asked, worriedly.

"Edward, it's Jessica. You need to come get Bella...now."

"Jessica? What? Where are you? Where's Bella? What's going on?" he asked, confused.

"Edward you just need to get here. I don't know what happened but we were going to a bar and now she's like on the floor and she's crying and she's not moving and I can't get her to talk or do anything! She wants you, Edward, you need to come now!"

Jessica was yelling and freaking out but Edward had been struck frozen. In the process, his cell phone had left his hand as it landed on the floor beside his feet. Emmett and Jasper had heard the noise so they rounded the corner to see what had fallen. When they walked into the family room, they saw Edward standing motionlessly against the wall, staring blankly ahead.

"Edward?" Jasper said.

His name being called woke him out of his slight panic phase. _Bella needed him_. That thought made him spring into action as he quickly picked his phone up off the floor and headed toward the front door of the house.

"Edward? What's going on? Is everything okay?" Jasper asked.

"It's Bella," he called back before running out of the house and into his car.

Edward didn't know what happened and he didn't care. All he knew was that Bella needed him and he was going to be there for her as soon as possible. The second he reached the highway, he pushed his car to its limit before pulling out his cell and calling Bella's phone.

"Hello?" Jessica answered in a panic.

"Put Bella on the phone," he yelled.

Edward could hear Jessica fumbling with the phone until he finally heard Bella's uneven breaths.

"Bella?" he said softly. He could hear her heavy breathing and his heart broke at the sound. He could feel the pain tugging at his chest and all he wanted was to make her feel safe again. "Bella, listen to me. It's me. It's Edward. I'm coming, Bella, okay? I'm on my way. I need you to breathe for me, Bella. You're going to be okay."

Bella didn't say a word but he could hear her muffled cries as he continued to reassure her that she was okay and that he was on his way. He stayed on the phone with her throughout his entire race toward Port Angeles but he knew he was taking too long. Her breathing was not calming down and he worried about the state he would find her in once he arrived.

"I'm almost there, Bella. Just keep breathing, okay?"

Edward was desperately trying to be strong for Bella but as he heard the sobs escaping her he was quickly losing his control. He wanted so badly to be there next to her – to have her wrapped in his arms. He needed her to stop crying and he hated Port Angeles for being so far away.

His mind was racing as he thought of every possible scenario of what could have happened to her. He knew it wasn't right to blame Jessica but he couldn't think of any other cause. He then remembered what Jessica had said on the phone – they were in a bar. Why were they in a bar, he wondered. Was Bella drunk? Were there other guys there? How did she even get into a bar? Edward sighed and willed the car to go faster but the drive was too long. He couldn't get there any faster than he was trying to and the panic that was overcoming him as to Bella's state was unbearable.

After what felt like hours, he finally made it into Port Angeles as he began weaving through the streets to get to their location. When he arrived at the exact spot Jessica had told him, he got out of the car and realized he couldn't see them.

"Where is she?" he cried into the phone after calling Jessica back.

"There should be a staircase on your left. We're at the bottom of the stairs."

Edward immediately turned his head and when he located the stairs he knew exactly what had set off Bella's panic. A shudder passed through him as he realized he needed to descend those stairs, having not the slightest idea what awaited him at the bottom. When he thought further, he wanted to punch himself for being sceptical because he knew exactly what was at the bottom – Bella.

He ran toward the stairs and even as he descended them he could feel the panic setting in. He needed to put those feelings aside because Bella needed him and the second he saw her he ran toward her. She was wrapped in a tight ball, her arms encircling her knees that were brought up to her chin. Her hair was hanging down, covering her face and he frantically tried to push it away from her face as he cried out her name.

"Bella?" he said, lifting her head.

Her head wouldn't budge and he could feel the load of the alleyway weighing in on him. He immediately knew the first thing he had to do. In one swift movement, he wrapped his arms under her body and lifted her up bridal style and ran up the stairs, back onto the street. He then threw open the back door to the Volvo and gently placed her inside before climbing in next to her and shutting the door.

The loud noises of cars and people yelling, screaming, and laughing were immediately quietened as they were now left, just the two of them, alone in the car together.

Edward once again lifted her face but her eyes were clenched shut.

"Bella," he whispered. "Bella, please open your eyes."

Bella could hear his soothing voice around her but she didn't know if she was merely imagining Edward or if he was really there. She didn't want to open her eyes and find out he was still far away.

"Bella, I'm here. I'm here with you. It's just us two and we're safe. You're safe. I'm keeping you safe. Please answer me. Please say anything."

Edward slowly started stroking her cheek and her hair. He lightly passed his hands over her arms, her shoulders, and her back. He needed her to know she was okay.

"Bella," he whispered. "Look at me. I need you to look at me."

Bella felt his soothing touch but when she opened her eyes, Edward could see the blank stare gazing back at him. He didn't know what to do so he grabbed her into a tight hug, holding her head down onto his shoulder as he rocked her back and forth.

Bella felt Edward's entire body wrap around hers and she knew she wasn't imagining anything. The feel of his arms were too warm, the smell of his cologne was too real, and his breaths in her ear were too soothing. She let out a shaky breath as she suddenly came out of her daze and she reciprocated Edward's hug. She wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Edward," she whispered.

"Oh God, Bella," he said, relief clouding his voice as he pulled her even closer to him. "I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner. You're okay though. Everything is okay. I'm here."

Edward held on to her as tight as he could as he let her cry out all of her fears and worries. Neither of them knew how long they had been sitting in Edward's back seat, completely wrapped in the other, but neither cared. Edward would have stayed there forever if that was what Bella needed to feel safe again.

As Bella started to calm down, their tight hug had diminished in intensity until Bella was sitting with her head on Edward's chest as he soothingly ran his fingers over her scalp and through her hair. Bella's breathing had returned to normal and they both sat, not thinking of anything specific, just enjoying the moment where they were together - alone and safe.

After awhile, Bella slowly lifted her head off his chest. "Let's go home," she said.

Edward smiled and slowly shifted his head down to place a soft kiss on her forehead. His lips lingered on her skin and when he pulled away he saw Bella's big brown eyes staring deeply into his. Her cheeks were tinted pink and her eyes were splotchy from crying but she was still as beautiful as ever. He ran his fingers across her cheek, removing the hair that had been stuck against her face, and placed another kiss on her temple. The second kiss had been soft and longer than the first as Edward struggled to pull himself away from her.

Bella felt Edward's warm lips on her skin as she sighed in satisfaction. She couldn't explain the fluttering in her stomach but as he pulled away from her, she looked into his bright green eyes and knew she wanted the feel of his lips back on her skin. She was once again overcome with the need to kiss him and she didn't know if it was because he was being sweet, because he had come to save her, or if it was simply because he was Edward.

Edward had been thinking the same thing as the taste of her skin remained on his lips. He desperately wanted to shift a little further down and take her bottom lip in his but then he thought back to where they were and why they were there. It would have been so easy to give her a soft kiss on the lips but he knew that what he really needed to do in that second, was to get Bella back home into the safety of her bedroom.

So instead of giving in to his desires, he gave her a small smile and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Let's go home," he said sweetly.

When they had settled themselves in the front seat of the Volvo, Edward started to drive away from the darkened streets of Port Angeles. As he looked out his rear-view mirror, he saw the small silhouette of Jessica Stanley standing completely confused in front of the staircase that triggered Bella's panic.

"Stupid Jessica Stanley," he muttered under his breath.

Bella was quiet for the whole drive home as she contemplated what happened to her. When they got back to Forks, they dropped Edward's car off at his house before walking back to Bella's for the night. When they got into her home, Edward slowly walked Bella up to her room and he patiently waited for her to get into her pyjamas. When they were both ready for bed, Edward lay down and Bella placed herself closer than usual. She looked into his eyes and he knew what she wanted. He slowly brought his arm around her waist and she shifted into him, revelling in the warmth from his body. Bella fell asleep that night, with a small smile on her face as she lay, for the first time since they'd met, wrapped in Edward's arms.

Edward went home the following morning to shower and change. As soon as he was ready, he headed back over to Bella's, giving Chief Swan the delusion that he had indeed spent the night in his own bedroom.

Edward and Bella spent the entire day on Saturday cuddled up on the couch, watching movies and doing homework. The only time Edward left Bella's side was when he was forced to because she went into the next room to call her mother. All day, as they sat on the couch, he kept his arm around her shoulder. As they did homework together at the kitchen table, he kept his leg pressed against hers and when he had to go home for supper, he hugged her until he really needed to leave.

That night, Edward once again wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close as he held her to him until morning.

* * *

At school on Monday, Bella was once again bombarded with posters and flyers about the upcoming dance. She watched as all students frantically searched for dates and discussed what they were planning on wearing.

During lunch, Alice notified everyone of their plans for the evening of the dance. As she went on and on about what everyone had to do, Jasper discreetly leaned closer into the table to talk to Edward.

"Hey...everything turn out okay on Friday?" he whispered.

Jasper hadn't spoken to Edward since Friday night so he wanted to make sure everything was okay. Edward quickly looked to see if Alice or Rosalie had heard what Jasper said but they hadn't. He turned back toward Jasper then and nodded with a small smile. Jasper smiled and turned his head to give Emmett a small nod. Emmett looked at Edward then making sure everything was indeed okay. Edward gave him a small nod of the head and Emmett turned back toward Rosalie.

"Alright...so on the actual night of the dance, we're going to take Emmett's jeep so that we all fit in nice and comfortably. Edward, don't forget to get your suit. Jasper and Emmett's are taken care of but not yours. Don't forget. Bella, we need to go shopping this weekend for your dress. And I should probably make you an appointment for your hair at the same time as mine and Rosalie's. Do you want your makeup done too? Maybe a waxing at the same time?"

Bella sat, staring at Alice, completely aghast. "What?" Bella asked.

"The dance. It's in two weeks, Bella. We need to prepare."

"I'm not going to the dance, Alice. Didn't I say that already?"

Alice stared at Bella. "I don't understand the words you just said."

Edward laughed. "I'm not going either, Alice."

"Oh God," she said, placing her head in her hands.

"Why aren't you guys going?" Emmett asked. "It's not going to be fun without you two."

"I don't do dances," Bella said shyly.

"You don't have to dance, Bella. It's more of a gathering than anything. Everyone gets all dressed up and pretty and there's some food and drinks, and everyone just hangs around. It'll be really fun," Rosalie said.

"I don't know..." Bella said, sceptically.

"We'll keep Mike, Tyler, and Eric away from you all night. We promise," Jasper said with a smile.

"But I don't have a date or anything. Don't you have to have a date? In Phoenix these dances were like really serious." Bella said.

"Bella, I'm sure you've noticed how different Phoenix is to Forks," Rosalie said with a smile.

"So people here go to dances alone?" Bella asked.

"Of course they do. There will be a lot more people going alone than those that are going with dates," Emmett said.

"Yeah, Bella. And whatever, Edward doesn't have a date either. We're all going to go just the six of us as friends. It'll be really fun," Alice said.

Bella looked over at Edward, wondering what he thought about everything.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"If you want to go, we'll go," he said.

Bella contemplated it and realized it would be nice doing something completely normal during her senior year.

"Okay, fine. But I don't have to dance. Not even once. And I can do my own makeup. And definitely no waxing."

"A little waxing?" Alice asked.

Bella stared at her seriously. "No waxing," she said firmly.

"Fine, fine. No waxing. But you'll come?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, sure, why not. I mean if I don't have to dance it doesn't sound all that bad."

"Yay!" Alice exclaimed.

The bell rang shortly after and Edward and Bella got up to head to biology.

"So we're going to the dance," Edward said as they took their seats.

Bella laughed. "Yeah, I guess we are. There are conditions though."

"Right...no dancing," Edward said with a small smile.

"Exactly," Bella said.

"Not even one dance?" he asked.

Bella looked at him. "No, Edward. Zero dances."

Edward bit his lip as a pink hue tinted his cheeks. "What if...what if I was the one who asked you to dance?"

Bella was taken aback by his question. "Why would you want to dance with me?"

"Well...I don't know. We're friends. Sometimes friends dance with other friends."

Bella was confused. "I've never danced with any of my friends before."

Edward sighed. "You're right. Forget I said anything."

Edward started scribbling on his notebook then as he willed the blush to leave his cheeks. He had imagined that conversation going much differently and he suddenly felt a pang of rejection at Bella not wanting to share a single dance with him.

Bella didn't know why Edward got so quiet all of a sudden but she hadn't understood what he was asking her. She didn't understand why he would want to dance with her when she clearly didn't want to dance at all. She was horrible at dancing. She was clumsy and she didn't know any moves.

She turned to look at Edward to ask him what was wrong and she noticed the pink in his cheeks. Was he embarrassed? She replayed their short conversation in her mind and she realized Edward was asking her to dance with him and she said no.

Mr Banner started his lecture then and she quickly scribbled on a piece of paper to slide it over to Edward.

_I'm an idiot._

Edward read the piece of paper and scrunched his eyebrows before adding a comment and sliding it back to her.

_Why?_

Bella looked at him but he was staring down at his notebook. She paused momentarily and then wrote down what she really wanted to say.

_Edward...I would love to dance with you. But only one dance. And only with you._

Edward read the note as a grin plastered his face. He wrote down his reply and sent it back.

_I'm looking forward to it._

After biology, Bella headed to gym where Jessica Stanley approached her to talk about Friday night.

"Hey, Bella," Jessica said.

Bella turned around and saw Jessica nervously playing with the hem of her gym shirt.

"Hey Jessica," Bella said. She realized she had never apologized for pretty much leaving her stranded in Port Angeles so she decided to do so. "Look I've been meaning to talk to you. I'm really sorry about Friday night."

"No, don't be. It was my fault. We shouldn't have gone to that stupid bar. I'm sorry if I made you feel...uncomfortable or anything."

Bella nodded. "Thanks Jessica. But we really shouldn't have left you there. We should have made sure you got to your car safely and stuff instead of just leaving."

"Nah, it's all good. I was fine. Don't worry about me."

"Alright...well...again, I'm really sorry for...um...everything."

"Don't apologize, Bella. I felt awful. I didn't know what to do and I don't even know if I handled it all that well..."

"You did everything perfect, Jess."

"Alright...if you say so..." Jessica paused before continuing. "I also wanted to apologize if I was ever...insensitive or anything. I know what you went through was horrible and I'm sorry if I ever came across as...I don't know...a huge bitch."

Bella smiled. "Don't worry about it."

"Bella? I just want you to know...I think you should know...Edward really likes you," she said with a small smile.

"What?"

"I mean...I saw you guys in the car and...he doesn't want to just be your friend. And I don't think you just want to be his friend, either. I don't know if you guys just don't see it or what so I just thought I'd point that out."

Bella smiled. "It's a little complicated but thanks, Jess."

Bella felt much better after her conversation with Jessica because she had truly felt sorry for leaving her alone Friday night. She was also glad that Jessica had apologized to her for being insensitive because that's exactly what she had been. Bella realized then that Jessica Stanley wasn't such a bad person and she wouldn't mind having her as a friend.

When Bella met up with Edward after school that day, she told him about her conversation with Jessica.

"I'm glad she apologized, Bella, but I still don't you think you should hang out with her."

"Well, I probably won't hang out with her but it's nice to have another friend at school."

"Yeah. Good. I'm glad you're making friends here," he said with a smile.

"Me too," she said, smiling back at him.

They got into his car then as Edward drove back toward Bella's house.

"Oh, by the way, Bella, I thought we'd go to the gym today."

"What? Why?"

"Because," he said casually.

"You were actually serious about that? What am I going to do at a gym?"

"You're going to work out with me," he said, smiling.

"Why?"

"Because you need to get some muscle on those scrawny arms," he replied playfully.

Edward pulled into Bella's driveway then and they both went inside so Bella could get comfortable workout clothing.

"I don't have workout clothing, Edward," she said as she rummaged through her closet. He was waiting outside her bedroom as she talked to him through the closed door.

"I guarantee you have something in there that isn't jeans, Bella."

"Ugh!"

He laughed and continued to wait as he could hear her frantically searching her room for appropriate attire.

"Oh I think I found something," she called out.

"Hallelujah."

Her bedroom door opened then and Edward froze. She stood before him in a pair of black shorts that fell just above her knee and a tight white tank top. Her legs were long and slim and the pale smooth skin of her arms made him want to run his hands all over her.

"Edward?" she asked.

"Umm...you don't have anything a little more...baggy?" he asked still staring at her body, loving how the tank top hugged her curves.

"Baggy? No...Why? Is this not okay?" she asked as she looked down at herself.

"No...no it's fine...it's just...umm..." He shook his head then trying to gather his thoughts. "It's fine. It's perfect. Put them in a bag and let's go."

Bella went back in her room to change back into her clothes so they could head to the gym. When they got there, Edward showed Bella where the women's locker rooms were and she went in to change while he went into the men's.

When they were both ready, Edward led her toward the main fitness room and told her to wait by the equipment for a few moments. As Edward left, Bella took the time to walk around the room and inspect the multitude of machines. The gym was pretty empty and she felt better knowing there wouldn't be a bunch of people watching her as she made a fool of herself.

As she walked by the exercise bikes, she thought she'd try it out. She got on and started peddling until she saw Edward approaching her while laughing.

"What?" she said.

"Bella, you're doing it wrong," Edward said.

"How could I possibly be doing it wrong?"

"Well, first of all, the machine isn't on," Edward said, pushing a few buttons.

Bella scrunched her brows and frowned at Edward. He laughed and pinched her cheek.

"You're adorable. I went to get Felix so he's on his way over now," he said.

Bella looked over Edward's shoulder then and saw a large man approaching them.

"Felix, I'd like you to meet Bella Swan," Edward said, pointing to Bella and smiling at her.

"Ah, Bella Swan. I've heard a lot about you. Edward here talks about you all day long," Felix said.

Bella blushed and looked at Edward who was also blushing.

"It's nice to meet you," she said shyly.

"So what do you want to work on? Cardio?" Felix asked, pointing to the exercise bike.

"Umm...well...I don't know. Edward just said I should come with him one day so I decided I'd try it out," Bella said, shrugging.

"What about some self defense techniques," Edward suggested.

Bella looked at him and so did Felix.

"What?" Edward asked. "I think it would be good, Bella. Actually we should both learn some things to you know...help us...protect ourselves."

"Self-defense? Well I mean we have a class here with an instructor. I can see if there's room to include you guys. There are usually about 10 to 15 people per class..."

"No," Edward interrupted. "I don't want to join a class. Can't you teach us some moves, just the two of us? It's mostly for Bella's sake but it wouldn't hurt for me to learn as well."

"Alright, if that's what you guys want. Let me go check if there are any available rooms," Felix said before walking away toward the front.

Bella glared at Edward.

"What?" he asked.

"That's why you wanted me to come. You didn't want me to work out...you wanted me to learn self-defense."

"That's not true. I just came up with that idea," Edward said.

"You're a liar. You came up with that idea way too quickly," Bella said.

"Fine, you caught me. But you never would have agreed if I hadn't done it like this," Edward said.

Bella looked down at her feet. "That's not true, Edward. All you had to say was that you wanted us to learn self-defense together and I would have joined. You didn't have to trick me into it."

Edward sighed and slowly placed his finger under chin, lifting her head upwards. "You're right. I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to trick you... I just wanted to make sure you were here before bringing up the idea. Here comes Felix, let's go," Edward said.

Bella and Edward followed Felix into one of the private rooms that were usually used for classes.

"Alright, you guys are lucky because I used to teach this class, so you have someone who actually knows what he's talking about. We have about forty-five minutes, so the two of you are going to sit down right here and you're going to listen for starters."

Bella looked at Edward and then slowly sat down as Edward followed. When they were seated, Felix continued.

"Bella, Edward has told me about your situation. So there are no secrets here. I'm saying this because it's bringing me to my first point. What I'm going to teach you here in the next couple sessions is what happens when you are forced to fight. This means that when it is inevitable that you must fight off an attacker, these moves will come in handy. However, if ever – and I mean _ever –_ the situation arises where you are able to run before fighting, you do so. When faced with an attack, the first thing you do is... Bella?"

"You run," Bella said, assuredly.

"Perfect. As long as we have that straight. Even those trained in martial arts that know they can fight someone off as easily as possible need to understand that when faced with the possibility of running, you run. Now if ever running is not an option and you are therefore forced to fight, the second most important thing is blocking. What you see in movies about kicking someone in the balls and running, doesn't work. They know that's coming.

"So the next think you do is block everything that comes at you, which we're going to learn, don't worry. And after that, you attack the vital areas. You don't throw punches left right and center to tire yourself out. You hit where it hurts. Where do you hit, Bella?"

"Where is hurts," Bella said confidently.

"Good. So those are the three main things we will be working on. Running, blocking, and attacking. Without all three of these, you will fail. Which is precisely why you guys are here right now. Bella, I'm going to attack you now, and you're going to run."

"What?" she screeched.

"Um...Felix, I don't know if she's exactly ready for that..." Edward said.

"I know she's not ready. And when you're faced with an attacker you won't be ready. So Bella, stand up."

Bella awkwardly rose to her feet. When she did so, Felix charged at her and she winced, throwing her arms over her head and her face into her shoulder.

"You didn't run," Felix said.

"I got scared," Bella countered.

"If I were an attacker I would have gotten you."

Felix knew that it would take more than the first practice but he had faith in Bella. The second time he ran towards her she ran away.

"Good," he said. "That was just a tiny little nothing of an exercise but you get what I'm saying, right?"

Bella nodded and sat back down.

Felix spent the rest of their session describing what they were going to be doing in the next few weeks to ensure that by the end of their sessions, they would both know how to properly defend themselves. He explained that he would be teaching them proper blocking techniques but in order to do so, one would have to be the attacker and the other would have to be the victim. He told them that since they were only two, they would have to rotate – when Edward was the attacker, Bella would be the victim and vice versa.

When Edward and Bella were leaving the private room, they both felt more confident.

"You were right, Edward. I think it's going to do me a lot of good taking those classes," she said.

"I'm glad, Bella. After working with Felix for a couple weeks I know what workouts I have to do so I don't really need him as a trainer anymore. I'm glad he's coming in handy for other things as well," Edward said.

Bella nodded as they walked toward the changing rooms.

"Okay, I'm going to take a quick shower and I'll meet you back out here, alright?" Edward said.

"Sounds good," Bella said as they parted ways and she headed into the women's dressing room.

Since Bella merely had to change out of her gym clothes into her regular clothes, she was done a lot quicker than Edward. She exited the changing room and went to sit on the nearest bench, waiting for Edward.

As she was waiting, she looked up and noticed some guy approaching her. He looked a couple years older with light brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a pair of gym shorts and a white tank top and he smiled at Bella when he stopped in front of her.

"Hey, anyone sitting here?" he asked, while pointing to the spot next to Bella.

Bella blushed and shook her head no as she shifted over so he could sit down.

"I've never seen you around here," he said. "Did you just join?"

"Yeah, pretty much. This is my first time," she said shyly.

Bella didn't understand why he was talking to her but she figured he was nice enough. And if he tried to attack her, she would just run. She smiled at the thought.

"Ah, newbie," he said, smiling. "This place is great. The people are great and it's really clean. You'll love it," he said.

"Yeah, I like it so far."

"Are you waiting for someone?" he asked.

"Yeah, he's just getting changed, he should be out soon," Bella said, nodding toward the dressing rooms.

"Ah, boyfriend?" he asked.

"Um...no...no... just a...friend," Bella said.

"Hmm. So what's your name?" he asked.

Bella was sceptical at first but when she realized it was possible for him to be a legitimately nice guy, she smiled at him.

"It's Bella," she said.

"Bella. That's a nice name. I don't think I've ever met anyone with that name before," he said.

"Well, it's actually Isabella. But I prefer Bella," she said.

He laughed. "Yeah. I do too. I guess Isabella was more popular back in the 1800s or something," he said smiling and Bella laughed.

As Edward got out of the shower, he quickly dried himself off and got dressed, ready to go meet up with Bella. As he started to head out of the changing rooms, he could hear Bella's laugh floating through the air. He quietly made his way over to the door, and when he looked out the small window, he saw Bella sitting on a bench laughing with some guy he'd previously seen around the gym.

Edward could feel the jealousy churn in his stomach and he decided to stand by and watch just to see what would happen. He watched as Bella blushed and smiled and he watched as the guy kept slowly sliding a little closer toward her.

"So how old are you?"

"I'm seventeen," Bella answered. "You?"

"I'm nineteen. You go to Forks High then?"

"Yeah, I do."

"You poor thing."

Bella laughed again as another blushed appeared on her cheeks and Edward couldn't handle it anymore. He immediately opened the door and walked right out of the changing room toward Bella.

When she saw him, she immediately smiled but Edward was too busy staring daggers at the guy sitting next to her.

"Ah, this must be who you were waiting for," he said when he saw the smile on Bella's face.

Edward ignored him. "Ready to go, Bella?" he asked.

"Yeah."

She got up then and started walking toward Edward.

"Hopefully, I'll see you around here more often, Bella. And...what's your...friends...name?" he asked, smiling at Edward.

"This is Edward," Bella said, excitedly. "Edward, this is...Oh, I forgot to ask your name," Bella said.

"It's Jimmy," he said.

"Jimmy?" Bella asked to clarify.

"Yeah. Well I mean, it's short for James. It's no Isabella but I prefer Jimmy," he said.

Edward felt Bella tense beside him as he immediately felt his throat go dry.

**

* * *

**

:::

* * *

_Edward was awakened by heavy footsteps pounding down the stairs. He immediately jerked upright and what he saw made him ball his fists in anger. From his spot in the room, all he could see was a large man with curly, sweat drenched hair, standing over Bella. He was wearing a pair of shorts that showed off his disgusting legs and a white, wife-beater tank top that had holes everywhere. His armpit hair was sticking out of the ends and Edward frowned in disgust._

_Edward realized then that this was the first visitor they had ever gotten. Even if the man had looked clean and nice, Edward still wouldn't have welcomed him in this basement. The basement had become his home now and this was an unwanted visitor._

"_Mmm, you do look yummy," the man said, crouching over Bella's body._

_Bella cowered back in fear as a small sob left her mouth._

"_Get away from her," Edward said._

_Edward knew he had no right to tell this man to step away from Bella but the protectiveness he felt over her was heightened as he watched the man eyeball her._

"_Ah. Edward Cullen. Have you been tapping this?" he asked, pointing to Bella._

"_Get away from her," Edward repeated._

"_Laurent, get the fuck away from her," the man in the boots yelled as he came down the stairs._

"_Aw, come on James, just one little lick?" he asked._

"_You idiot! Don't fucking say my name!"_

_They both started arguing loudly but Bella and Edward weren't listening. They immediately locked eyes knowing that for the first time in months, they were now able to put a name to the masked face – James._

"_Well fuck, I didn't know they didn't know your name," Laurent said._

"_Why would they know my name? I walk around with a fucking mask on, you asshole! I knew I shouldn't have brought you here. Can we just get this done before you fucking tell them where I live and everything about me?"_

_James and Laurent headed upstairs then as Edward and Bella sat frozen._

"_James," Edward whispered._

"_James," Bella repeated._

"_I don't know any James."_

"_Me neither."_

_They both desperately tried to think back but neither could remember anyone named James. In the midst of their thoughts, the two sets of boots came clunking back down the stairs._

"_Alright, boys and girls, we're going to have some fun today," James said._

_Edward and Bella said nothing. They simply waited for him to continue._

"_Bella, you're up first. Come with me," he said, as he reached out his hand for her to grab._

"_Where are you taking her?" Edward immediately asked._

"_Relax, lover boy. This will only take a minute."_

"_It will definitely take more than a minute," Laurent said, smiling._

_Edward immediately thought the worst. Where was James going to take Bella? Why would it definitely take way more than a minute? Was Laurent here to...to do things to her?_

"_You're not taking her anywhere without me," Edward said, standing up and taking charge._

_Laurent guffawed and James rolled his eyes._

"_We're just going to take some pictures, Edward. We won't hurt her," James said._

_Edward wasn't convinced._

"_Come on, Bella," Laurent said seductively as he approached her._

_Bella cowered back and James pushed Laurent out of the way._

"_Bella?" he said, as he crouched down in front of her. "Have I done anything to hurt you recently?"_

_Bella slowly shook her head no._

"_Exactly. I promise you I'm not going to hurt you, okay? We're just going to take some pictures and we'll be right back."_

"_Pictures?" Edward asked._

_James got up and looked back at Edward with a smile._

"_Yeah. Pictures."_

"_Pictures for what?"_

"_Pictures to send your parents."_

_

* * *

_

**Alright...so I'm assuming most of you knew or were assuming the kidnapper was James.**

**I hope you liked this chapter. A lot of you were excited for Edward coming to the rescue so I hope you are satisfied!**

**Next week is going to be Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett's story about their summer. It's gonna be a sad one :(**

**And after that it's...wait for it...THE DANCE! It should be an exciting chapter.**

**Review for a teaser!**


	15. Chapter 14

**Midterms + Thanksgiving (I'm Canadian) = Late Chapter  
My apologies!**

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.

As always, thanks goes out to my amazing beta **SabLuvsLogan** who got this chapter back to me in record time!

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PREVIOUSLY

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_"This is Edward," Bella said, excitedly. "Edward, this is...Oh, I forgot to ask your name," Bella said._

_"It's Jimmy," he said._

_"Jimmy?" Bella asked to clarify._

_"Yeah. Well I mean, it's short for James. It's no Isabella but I prefer Jimmy," he said._

_Edward felt Bella tense beside him as he immediately felt his throat go dry_

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Chapter 14

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"Oh God," Bella whispered.

Edward had been frozen beside her, staring at Jimmy who sat confused on the bench.

"Is everything okay?" Jimmy asked.

"We have to go," Bella said, before grabbing Edward's hand and walking toward the exit.

"Wait! Bella, hold on a second," Jimmy said as he got up and started following them.

"I'm really sorry but we really need to go."

Edward had been silent the whole time, not being able to gather his thoughts.

"Is it something I said?" Jimmy yelled out as they kept walking further and further away from him.

Bella finally stopped and turned around. "Look...you were a really nice guy and thank you for...being nice...but we really need to leave right now. I'm sorry we can't explain. It was nice to meet you J..." Bella struggled as she tried to say his name but finally couldn't. "It was just nice to meet you."

Jimmy nodded and watched as Bella dragged Edward out of the gym and toward his car. Once they reached the Volvo, Bella looked around to make sure no one was around. When she realized they were alone in the parking lot, she turned to look at Edward who was still just as frozen.

"Edward?"

When he didn't answer, she stepped closer toward him and lightly removed the hair from in front of his eyes.

"Edward...it's okay. He's gone now. We're alone again."

Edward finally looked down at her. Bella saw the confusion and the fear in his eyes so she grabbed his face with her two hands, forcing him to look into her eyes.

"They're not the same person, Edward. They're two completely different people. There are plenty of people with...that name."

Edward slowly tried to look back toward the gym but Bella kept his head firmly facing hers.

"Let's just get out of here, okay?" Bella said.

Edward gave a small nod as he stood, completely confused over what had just happened. Bella realized that Edward was still fairly out of it so she decided she was going to drive. She got into the driver's seat as Edward got into the passenger's side and they drove toward Bella's house. Since it was still fairly early, Charlie wasn't home yet so they went straight up to her bedroom. Edward immediately lay down on her bed and she did the same.

After a long period of silence, Edward spoke his first words since the gym.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"For what?" she said as she turned to look at him. He was lying flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

"I don't...I don't know what happened in there. I just...froze...or something. I don't know. I heard his name and I just...I don't know what happened after that."

"It's okay, Edward," she said as she slowly slid closer toward him. She placed her head on his chest as she wrapped her right arm around his waist.

They stayed like that for another long moment before Bella realized that this exact situation was happening all too often lately. Too many times have they had to comfort each other over the smallest of incidents. Everything that occurred - the incident in the gym locker room at school, the one in Mike's bedroom, the night out with Jessica, the nice guy named James – was because they were too weak to cope normally.

"We can't keep doing this," Bella whispered into his chest.

Edward slowly tilted his head to look down at her.

"We can't keep...freaking out over every little thing that reminds us of..."

"I know," Edward said, interrupting her. He took her small hand in his, lacing their fingers together, and placed it on his chest.

She took a deep breath and slowly shifted upward. Their hands were still connected but she was now sitting upright. "What do we do?" she said softly.

"I don't know."

"Maybe we should talk to Dr Aro or something."

"What?"

"I don't know. After that session last weekend, I felt kind of better. We like...opened up and stuff."

"Bella... the result of that session was for us to spend less time together."

"That's not what I mean. It was nice to just like...talk and admit that we're afraid...that we're not...okay. He doesn't judge us, Edward...he's just...there. "

Edward didn't say anything. After another long pause, Bella spoke again.

"He was really nice, you know?"

"Dr Aro?" Edward asked.

"No...the guy at the gym. I feel bad for running away from him like that."

Edward felt that same jealousy churn in his stomach as he accidentally let out a small scoff.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said, trying to act nonchalant.

"He _was_ nice."

"I'm sure he was."

"You don't think he was nice?"

Edward shrugged his shoulders and stared down at their entwined hands. "I didn't talk to him."

"You're making it sound like he was a bad guy or something," she said as she made a small move to shift away from him.

"I didn't say that."

"What are you saying then?"

"Nothing, Bella. I'm a teenage guy. I know what he was thinking as he was talking to you, that's all."

"And what was he thinking?"

Edward let out a small sigh. "He was thinking... pretty girl in a pair of short shorts and a tank top waiting for her...friend."

Bella was momentarily taken aback by what he said.

"Did you tell him you were single?" Edward asked.

"I am single," Bella countered back

"So you told him?"

"Yes."

Edward let out a small laugh. "Then he wasn't nice. He was just hitting on you. I watched him, Bella. He kept eyeballing you and he kept moving closer to you. He was practically drooling."

"You were watching him? When?"

"I heard you laughing so I looked out the window and I saw you two together."

"We were just talking."

Edward let out another sigh. "Bella...you're always just talking. You need to be more careful. Why aren't you more careful?"

"What do you mean?"

"You follow Mike on a tour of his house which leads you into his bedroom. You agree to go to the movies with Jessica Stanley where you end up in some dirty stairwell. You start talking to some random guy whose obvious only interest is feeling you up. You keep...trusting people..."

Bella didn't say anything.

Edward slowly sat up and caressed her cheek as he softened his voice. "Bella...I feel like I always need to watch you...and don't get me wrong...I love making sure you're okay...but I feel like if I don't pay attention to your every move you're going to get hurt. You need to be more careful. All three of those incidents happened with people you knew for like thirty seconds."

"I don't...trust...them, Edward. I just...I don't know how to turn people down. That guy came and asked if he could sit on the bench, what am I going to say? No... this seat is taken?"

"No, but you can get up and leave."

"He seemed nice...Edward, we can't just...never trust another person."

"Yes we can, Bella. Right now, at this point in my life, you're the only person I trust one hundred percent. I trust my parents, yes, but I know they're trying to get me to talk to Dr Aro and they're constantly checking up on me so I can't really trust them because I don't know their motives. You, Bella, I trust everything about you. And I'm okay with that. I don't need to trust anyone else."

"I don't need to trust anyone else either but...Edward sometimes it's nice not being afraid of everything and everyone."

Edward's features softened as he grabbed her hand once again. "I know," he whispered. "But all I'm saying is that you really need to be more careful. Those things happened because you never spoke up. If you don't want to do something you need to be firm about it, okay? Can you do that for me? When Mike Newton asks you to follow him up to his bedroom you say no. And you say it so that he knows you mean it. And when Jessica Stanley tells you to follow her down the darkened streets of Port Angeles to get to some bar, you tell her firmly that you don't want to go."

Bella slowly nodded.

"Can you do that for me, Bella?"

Bella gave him a small smile. "Yes."

Edward left shortly after and Bella was left alone to think over their conversation. She briefly wondered why Edward was so bothered by her talking to Jimmy. He had seemed like a legitimately nice guy and she didn't see anything wrong in engaging in an innocent conversation with him. Edward had said that he thought she was too trusting but she thought there was more to it.

Since her mind was racing, she decided to start supper for Charlie. Bella had only had two cooking lessons with Esme to date but she had managed to perfect a spaghetti sauce so she decided to make that for Charlie. The process kept her busy and she was no longer thinking of the meaning behind Edward's words.

Charlie got home earlier than usual that night and when he walked into the kitchen, he smelled the fresh tomato sauce and whistled in appreciation.

"Wow, smells awesome, Bells."

"Thank you. What are you doing home so early?" she asked.

"There were too many of us down at the station so I decided to give myself a little break. You know, come home and have dinner with my daughter," he said, with a smile.

Bella smiled back. "I'm glad. It'll be ready in about ten minutes."

Charlie nodded and headed to the fridge to grab a beer before sitting down at the kitchen table.

"Actually, Bells, I forgot to tell you. They're switching my shift now so I won't be doing the late shifts anymore. We can start having supper together more often."

"That sounds great, dad!"

"Yeah. I have two more weeks of the late shift but after that, I'll be home for about seven o'clock every night."

Bella smiled and told Charlie how excited she was, but a small part of her was wondering what would happen with Edward now. She wondered if Edward would still be able to climb her window at night knowing that Charlie could walk in at any second. Would Charlie check up on her at night? She started to worry over what would happen to their sleeping arrangements but she decided to calm down until she could talk it over with Edward.

When the pasta was ready, she placed two plates on the kitchen table and they both started eating.

"This is amazing, Bella. Esme taught you how to do this?"

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "She also taught me how to make meatballs but I didn't have time. Yesterday she taught me how to make meatloaf. It's really easy and it's good for leftovers so I'll make that one night this week. Now that you're home I'm going to have to learn new recipes."

"Oh, don't worry about cooking for me, Bells."

"I like it, though. And I need to put what Esme teaches me to good use."

"If you say so."

They took another couple bites in silence until Charlie spoke up again.

"So how was your day today?"

"It was good...I um...I went to the gym with Edward today."

"The gym?"

"Yeah...Edward and I are taking some um...self defense classes..."

"Self defense?"

"Yeah... Edward has a personal trainer and he's going to teach us some stuff."

"That's actually great. That was Edward's idea?"

"Yeah. He thought it would help me out."

"Well, I agree with him. I guess I'll have to thank him for that. I'm surprised I didn't even think of enrolling you in self-defense lessons."

Charlie and Bella continued to converse casually until she went upstairs to do some homework and get ready for bed. At around 8:30, she knew Edward would be getting ready to head over so she decided to call him to tell him the situation.

"Miss me already?" he said as he answered the phone after the first ring.

Bella laughed and sat down on her bed. "No. I see too much of you anyways."

"Ha. Ha. What's up?"

"My dad's home."

"Okay..."

"Well I don't know if he's going to come upstairs to check up on me or something so I figured you should wait until he goes to bed before coming over."

Edward paused for a second. "Well...when's that gonna be?" he said sounding worried.

"I don't know..."

"But...I want to come now. What if he only goes to bed at like midnight?"

"He won't. He had a long day and he looked pretty tired. I promise it won't be long, okay? As soon as he goes to bed I'll call you and you can come right over."

Edward let out a small fake sob. "But I'm bored."

"Fine, come over then. But you're going to have to deal with it when my dad comes to say goodnight and sees you in my bedroom."

"Ugh...fine. Can we at least stay on the phone?"

Bella blushed at the fact that he wanted to talk to her but decided to joke about it. "You're such a girl, Edward."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. So how was your night?"

Edward and Bella stayed on the phone for an hour together as she found herself laughing and giggling at his words. She wondered when she had turned into such a girl over talking to him. They had always been so comfortable around each other but lately she found herself being nervous and giddy over seeing him. She would pick out her clothing in advance, and she made sure her hair looked relatively nice. She slowly started to realize that she was trying to impress Edward and she momentarily wondered if he'd noticed. She had been told time and time again that most girls threw themselves at him and she didn't want to be like that. She didn't want him to turn her down. She didn't want to come off as desperate but as the weeks went by, she found herself becoming more and more attracted to him.

"Is he gone yet? It's ten o'clock!" Edward whined.

"Oh...shh...I hear him coming up the stairs...hold on."

Bella threw her phone under her pillow and lay down on her bed. She heard a soft knock at her door before she saw it open slowly. Charlie muttered a low goodnight before closing the door and heading toward his bedroom at the end of the hall.

"Edward?" she said after she pulled the phone from under her pillow.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Okay...you can come now."

"Finally! See you soon!"

Edward showed up mere minutes later and as a large grin plastered his face, a light blush crept up on Bella's. She couldn't explain what she was feeling but as he wrapped his arms around her, she revelled in the feel of his body and knew that her feelings toward Edward were definitely changing.

The rest of the week passed by fairly uneventfully. Students were still boasting about the upcoming dance and Bella still couldn't bring herself to get excited over it. The more she thought of it, the more she realized that all she wanted to do was have her one dance with Edward and leave.

On Saturday morning, Alice, Bella, and Rosalie went shopping for their dresses as planned. They had gotten to the mall fairly early so there weren't many people around and they were able to shop freely. They were walking through the aisles of dresses, casually sifting through them to find what they liked as they conversed casually.

"So Bella, what's new?" asked Alice.

"Nothing really," Bella answered.

"How are things with you and Edward?"

"Good I guess."

"Are you seriously not interested in dating him?" Rosalie asked.

Bella sighed.

"You have to know where we're coming from, Bella. We're used to girls swooning at the sight of him. We just don't understand how you resist his charm," Rosalie said with a small shrug.

"Well...it's hard sometimes," Bella said.

"Ah! Juicy stuff!" Alice exclaimed.

"I don't know...sometimes I feel...different. Sometimes I...like I always want to be closer to him...you know? And sometimes we have these moments..."

"Moments?" Alice asked, wanting her to continue.

"Yeah...well, Alice, you remember when we almost kissed on my birthday?"

"What?" Rosalie exclaimed.

"I'll tell you about it later," Alice said.

"Yeah and after that...things were slow but every once in a while he looks at me and I think he's going to kiss me and sometimes he says stuff..."

"Like what?" Alice asked.

"Well...I was talking to this random guy we met at the gym and afterward he got like...mad and he called me pretty...and I don't know what to think sometimes."

"You were talking to a random guy and Edward got mad?" Alice said with a smile on her face.

"Yeah...He told me the guy just wanted to feel me up."

"Oh my god! Bella he was totally jealous!" Alice practically yelled.

"What?"

"He was totally jealous!"

"Why would he be jealous?"

"Because he likes you!"

"No...He just wants me to be more careful," Bella said, reiterating what Edward had told her on Monday.

"Then he wouldn't have said that the guy was hitting on you! He would have said that he could have been a murderer or I don't know what. But he wasn't worried about this guy hurting you. He was worried you would start liking him! He was jealous! He didn't want you talking to another guy! This is so exciting!"

"I don't really think it was like that, Alice," Bella said as she looked to Rosalie for help.

"He was definitely jealous, Bella," Rosalie said with a smile.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because we know him. Edward doesn't give a shit about anything. Before you, Bella, Edward never gave anyone the time of day. He could make out with a girl then watch as she made out with someone else thirty seconds later and he wouldn't give a fuck because he never truly cared about anyone. If someone came even close to Alice and I he would lose his shit but that's Edward. He's protective. We love him for it."

"I don't get it..."

"I'm saying that you were just talking to this guy and he jumped to conclusions. It means he cares about you. But not just to protect you from harm. He wants you to himself. He's just too much of a chicken shit to open his mouth and ask you to be his."

Bella didn't know what to say because she knew that she would love nothing more than for Edward to say exactly those things to her. She wanted him to care about who she talked to and who she kissed. She wanted him to care about her not because of what happened to her but because of who she was.

They continued shopping as they each tried on dress after dress. By early afternoon, they had each found a dress they loved and quickly went to find shoes and accessories. Every pair of shoe Bella tried on was more uncomfortable than the last but she had to admit that some of them really made her legs look good. She finally settled on a pair that weren't too high but were nowhere near as comfortable as she had hoped.

Alice and Rosalie dropped her off at home afterward and told her that she should head to Edward's around six because they were going to be hanging out over there that night. Bella grabbed all her stuff and headed inside. She settled herself at the kitchen table, desperately trying to get some homework done, but her mind kept racing with everything Rosalie and Alice had told her earlier in the morning. Had Edward been jealous of Jimmy? Was he upset that she was talking to another guy? Did Edward actually think she liked Jimmy more than him? She thought it was absolutely ridiculous that she could feel something even remotely close to what she felt for Edward for someone she had known merely five minutes.

Bella's cell phone going off had interrupted her thoughts and when she went to answer it, she saw it was Edward calling. Since they were both alone, Edward decided to head over to Bella's to do some homework with her. As they both sat in silence at the kitchen table, the questions eating away at Bella's mind were driving her crazy. She finally decided to speak up.

"Edward...I um...I wanted to ask you something but I don't want you to get offended."

He slowly looked up from his books and smiled at her. "I won't, go ahead."

Bella paused as a light blush coloured her cheeks. "Were you...on Monday...were you...jealous...of Jimmy?" she said slowly.

The question had caught him offguard and he didn't really want to answer it. He let out a small cough as he tried to act indifferent. "Why would I be jealous of him?"

"Well...Alice and Rosalie asked me today how things were going with us...and um...I may have mentioned some stuff and they said...you were upset because you were jealous...but I didn't understand why you were jealous."

"I wasn't jealous," he said with a small shrug.

Bella's cheeks turned even redder as she realized she was dumb for thinking that Edward would care what guy she talked to. "Okay...I was just making sure," she said quietly.

She immediately returned to doing her homework as she willed the embarrassment to stop showcasing itself on her cheeks. After a short pause, Edward spoke up again.

"I mean...why would I be jealous?" he asked slowly.

Bella looked up at him. "I don't know..."

Edward paused for a second. "Would you be jealous if you saw me talking and laughing with another girl?"

"No...well...I don't think so..." Bella said as she contemplated what he was saying.

"You wouldn't care? At all?" he asked.

"Well...I don't think so."

"What if I kissed another girl?"

Bella was thoroughly bothered by the notion but decided not to say it out loud. "Well..."

"What if you saw me kissing Jessica Stanley?"

"Ew."

"Bella," Edward said, wanting her to be serious.

Bella sighed. "I don't know if it's...jealousy...but I guess...yeah...it would bother me."

"So you wouldn't want me kissing her?"

"No."

"Then you'd be jealous," he concluded.

Bella finally understood what he was saying. "So then...you were jealous of Jimmy?"

He paused before answered. "I guess. I mean...I wasn't really jealous of... him...but...I was bothered that he was making you laugh. At least you didn't kiss him so...wait a minute...you didn't kiss him right?" Edward said, shock lacing his voice.

"No! Jeeze, I only knew him for like five minutes!" Bella said with a small laugh.

"Well...I don't know what your kissing history is like. Maybe you like making out with random guys."

Bella laughed. "I don't have a kissing history, Edward."

Edward was momentarily taken aback. "At all?"

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"You've...never been kissed? By anyone?"

"Nope."

"Huh," he said as a small smile appeared on his face.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said, trying to hide the smirk.

"Is that funny to you?"

"No...It's interesting though."

"Why is it interesting?"

"I don't know...it just is. Have you ever wanted to be kissed?"

"Yes," she whispered as she remembered the night of her birthday in Edward's bedroom.

"Did you want Jimmy to kiss you?"

"No."

"Did you ever want me to kiss you?" he asked slowly.

Bella was quiet as her cheeks were now fully covered in a dark blush. Edward smiled and lightly stroked her cheek.

"When did you kiss Jessica Stanley?" Bella asked quietly.

"You're changing the subject."

"The subject is kissing. I'm perfectly on topic."

"I don't really want to talk about it, Bella."

"I want to know."

"Do you really want to know?"

"I want to know when. Not how or where or what it was like. I heard enough from her."

"It was last year."

Bella nodded and slowly looked down at her hands. Edward was about to ask her another question when his phone went off, alerting him that the rest of the group would be arriving at his place any minute.

"Alright, we gotta get going. But we'll resume this conversation at some other point."

Bella smiled and they both got up to head back to Edward's. When they pulled into his driveway, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett were already all there, sitting on the front steps.

"It's about fucking time," Emmett called out.

"Why didn't you ring the doorbell? My mom could have let you guys in," Edward said as he got out of his car.

"We did ring. I don't think your parents are home."

"Oh...sorry guys, I thought they were here."

He went up to the front door then and slid the key into the lock. When they were all inside, Edward headed into the kitchen to find a note waiting for him on the counter stating that Esme and Carlisle had gone out for a few hours but they wouldn't be home too late.

"They left money for pizza. Should we order?" Edward asked.

When everyone agreed, Edward called and placed the order before they all settled into his living room to relax for the night. Alice and Rosalie talked about the dresses they bought and how beautiful Bella looked in hers. She blushed and Edward smiled knowing he couldn't wait to see her in it.

"You know what I was wondering? Why didn't they just make this a Halloween dance?" Emmett asked.

"I don't know. We were asking the same thing but apparently Jessica didn't want everyone showing up in costumes. She wanted everyone to get all dressed up so she decided to have it a couple weeks early," Rosalie said.

"Yeah...and since she's the President of that stupid club she's the one that decides," Alice huffed.

"I don't really mind. I mean, it's nice that we all get to dress up and get pretty. You guys will appreciate it much more," Rosalie said with a wink.

The pizza finally came and they all moved into the kitchen to eat. When they were done, they headed back into the living room where they decided they were going to take it easy and just watch a movie.

"I'll choose!" Emmett said when they couldn't decide on one.

He got up then and as he slid along the couch, his pants dipped down revealing his butt crack.

"Ew! Emmett butt crack!" Alice said while laughing.

"How many times do we have to tell you to pull up your pants, Emmett," Jasper said.

"Yeah, I've seen enough of your ass to last me a lifetime!" Alice said with a laugh.

"How much of his ass have you seen?" Edward laughed.

"Too much! This summer Emmett lost his shorts on that new slide they opened up at the water park in Port Angeles. It was horrible. We saw everything!"

"Remember the little girl who yelled out in sheer horror?" Jasper asked, laughing so hard he was on the verge of tears

All four friends started to laugh but Bella and Edward merely smiled, knowing their summer didn't allow them to go to the water slides. They all stopped laughing as they slowly looked at Edward and Bella who were supporting small, insincere smiles. Alice immediately felt horrible for bringing up the water slides as she remembered exactly what that day had entailed.

"Sorry," Emmett whispered, knowing full well why Edward and Bella got so quiet.

"Don't be," Bella said.

"Yeah...You guys don't have to pretend like you didn't have a good summer, you know?" Edward said.

None of the friends said anything as they all sat, remembering their summer.

"Seriously, guys," Edward said as he looked at each of them. "We want to hear about what you guys did."

Edward heard a small sob escape from Alice and when he looked at her, he noticed the discomfort clouding over her features.

"Alice?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," she said as she got up and ran to the kitchen.

Edward immediately followed after her. Bella was about to get up when Jasper lightly placed his hand on her arm. "You may want to just let them be for a little while."

Bella nodded and sat back down as Edward walked into the kitchen to find Alice leaning over the counter, with her head in her hands.

"Alice...what's wrong?" he asked.

Alice merely shook her head and looked in the opposite direction.

"Alice, what's going on?"

Alice paused for a second and when she looked back up at him, tears rimmed her eyes.

"You're crying," he whispered. He immediately walked toward her to envelop her in a hug. "What's wrong?"

There was a short pause as Edward let her cry into his chest. When she regrouped, she pulled away from him, tears still flowing freely down her face.

"Edward...Edward, you don't know what it was like for us."

"What are you talking about?"

"Those four months...Edward they were...horrible. I know they were horrible for you because you were...kidnapped..." Edward winced at the word but Alice continued. "But we were stuck here...with absolutely no idea where you were. We thought the worst, Edward. They wouldn't declare you dead until they knew for sure but we just...we just assumed you know? And it was...so hard."

"Alice..."

She shook her head and continued to speak, needing him to understand how she actually spent her summer. All of them had wanted so badly to tell Edward how much they missed him but the opportune moment never arose. Now that it was here and Alice had started talking, she knew she wouldn't be able to stop anytime soon.

"Edward, you need to know exactly what happened this summer while you were gone. It wasn't filled with trips to the water slides. It was..."

"Alice, it's okay. You don't have to tell me, I don't want you to be upset."

"No...I want to tell you. You need to know."

Alice slowly went to get the rest of the friends as they all gathered in the kitchen.

"That first day..." Alice started as she looked at Edward, tears still rimming her eyes, "the day your mom called me crying, asking if I knew where you were...I thought she was delusional. I thought for sure you were just out with Jessica or Lauren or something and you decided not to come home. The second day I knew something was wrong and by the third day we were all freaking out." She paused briefly. "Your parents were doing their own thing with the cops but they wouldn't let us help. So...We took matters into our own hands. We hopped into Emmett's jeep and we just drove. We looked everywhere... anywhere...searching. We called out your name...we went to every single spot we thought you could have gone to...but we never found you. We spent an entire week looking for you."

Edward didn't say anything. He stayed quiet, waiting for her to say everything she needed to say.

"After a week the pain was just...intolerable. We went back home realizing that you could literally be anywhere. Being alone was too hard so we stayed together...all the time. We would get together every night, Edward. Each night we huddled in my basement and we cried and we talked about you..."

Alice was full on sobbing and Edward pulled her to him again.

"It's okay, Alice," he whispered into her hair.

"It's not okay, Edward. This...facade...we put on when we're around you... it's for your sake...for you and Bella. But you need to know what it was really like for us. It wasn't fun and we didn't have a good summer like we've led you to believe. And the worst part...was that...you came back and you never even called us or came to see us or anything. It was like you forgot about us..."

"Alice...I had just come back from..."

"I know...I know. And I don't mean it like that but it was like...you got back and no one even bothered to tell us. We spent the whole summer thinking our best friend was dead and we didn't know how to cope. We didn't know if we should mourn because no one else was mourning...and we had to listen to everyone calling it a...disappearance. What does that even mean?" She took a deep breath and continued. "We found out you were back a week later, Edward. When it hit the news, that's when we found out. And we weren't allowed to go see you or to call you or anything and it was killing us...and we just..."

Edward wrapped his arms around her even tighter.

"I'm so sorry, Alice."

"Don't apologize, it wasn't your fault."

He continued to hold her as they stood there in silence.

"You know I missed you right?" Edward said. "You have to know how much I missed you guys every second of the day."

Alice nodded her head and when Edward looked back up, he saw the rest of the gang standing in the entrance of the kitchen, sadness etched across their features.

"I'm really sorry, you guys. I really had no idea what you went through."

"It's okay, man. We're just glad you're okay," Emmett said softly.

"We've wanted to tell you for a long time how much we missed you but...we never found a good moment you know? And we didn't want to bring something up that would upset you," Rosalie said.

"Plus they held that stupid assembly at school..." Emmett said.

As soon as he said it he knew he should have kept his mouth shut.

"Assembly?" Edward asked. "What assembly?"

No one wanted to broach the subject so Jasper decided to step up. "The week before school started, they made us all come in for an assembly. No one knew what it was about. We only knew that it was mandatory. They sat us all down and Principal Murphy told us about you guys. About what happened to you...How long you were gone...He told us you guys would be starting school again and that we needed to welcome you back with open arms."

Edward was silent as he listened to every word Jasper spoke.

"He basically told us that he had spoken to you, and that you said you wanted everything to go on as normal. So he told everyone to act exactly like they used to act around you. He said no one was allowed to show pity or remorse. We needed to make you feel like you never left. Like nothing happened to you. He didn't want you two to feel uncomfortable so he wanted us to be extremely friendly toward Bella and to not say a word about the...kidnapping."

Edward opened his mouth as if to say something but nothing came out.

"We were so pissed after that assembly, Edward," Emmett said. "He wanted everyone to go on...ignoring what happened to you guys and we didn't think it made any sense. Why should we pretend nothing happened? Why should we fake ignorance? It seemed...cold-hearted. We felt like you guys thought we didn't care about what happened to you when that was the exact opposite of what we felt. All we wanted was for you two to be safe and it fucking sucks that we had to wait this long to tell you that."

Edward paused before speaking. "I remember Principal Murphy coming to talk to me. I think I may actually be thankful for that though...I know you guys hate that you can't show how much you missed me and how worried you were for me but...starting school with everyone telling me how they were sick to their stomachs over my whereabouts would have been...unmanageable."

They all nodded in understanding.

"Thanks for caring," Edward said softly. "I really missed you guys, you have to know that right? There was just...a lot going on when we came back and...I wanted to see you but I..."

"Don't apologize for anything, Edward," Jasper said. "We know exactly how hard it was for you. We just wanted you to know that we were affected by it too."

"Yeah...the only reason we went to that stupid water park was because our parents couldn't handle us anymore. They told us we needed to get the hell out of the house. So we got into my jeep and we just drove over there," Emmett said.

"Yeah...we had a pretty bad time too," Jasper said.

"Until Emmett lost his shorts," Alice said with a small smile.

Edward let out a small laugh. "I really wish I was with you guys this summer. You know that, right?"

They all gave him a small nod as they each came closer to give Edward the hug they always wanted to give him when they saw him again.

They all felt so much better, knowing that Edward now knew they hadn't abandoned him.

Edward paused for a second then, realizing what it meant when they said they had no idea if he was even alive. "So then...that means...you never saw the...pictures?" Edward asked.

**

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**

:::

* * *

_Edward watched as James and Laurent dragged Bella up the stairs. She was staring back at him with fear in her eyes and he wanted nothing more than to be with her. He didn't know where they were bringing her or what they were going to do with her but he realized he just needed to trust James. He needed to put trust in the one person that he hated more than anyone else._

_As soon as Bella was up the stairs, James covered her eyes with his arm._

"_You just can't really see where I'm taking you, okay?"_

_Bella continued to walk where James led her until she felt her bare feet push into a carpeted floor. For a short moment, she revelled in the feeling of carpet since it had been so long since she last felt it. When James removed his arm, she was in some sort of living room. There was a nice couch with a painting on the wall and a coffee table in the middle of the room._

"_Where are we?" she whispered._

"_Well, I can't really tell you that. This will be over soon okay, Bella?"_

_Bella nodded as Laurent left the room and James told her where he wanted her._

"_I just want you to sit on the couch and look normal. Like you're watching TV or something. But I want to see your face and your eyes. I want you to look directly into the camera. We're going to take about ten pictures and then you'll go back downstairs."_

_Laurent came back into the room then with what looked like a very professional camera._

"_Maybe she should take her shirt off or something. It'll make it more effective," Laurent said with a smirk while licking his lips._

"_Can you fucking shut it with that shit?" James yelled._

_Laurent rolled his eyes and blew Bella a kiss as a look of repulsion clouded her features._

"_Just wait until he leaves," Laurent whispered so only Bella could hear._

_She was immediately frightened and she quickly realized how horrible her situation was as she actually trusted James, her kidnapper, over someone else._

"_Alright, Bella, look right into the camera. Don't smile but don't look sad. Just look...void of emotions," James said._

_Bella wouldn't have been able to smile for the camera even if she tried. She looked directly into the lens and Laurent started taking his pictures._

_When they were done, James brought her back downstairs and they did the same with Edward. He didn't comply as well as Bella had but eventually they got it done. When Edward returned downstairs, he enveloped Bella in a tight hug as they realized how horrible their time spent apart had been. Bella had been alone in the basement for merely fifteen minutes but she was trembling and frightened beyond belief._

"_What are you going to do with those pictures?" Edward called out._

"_We told you...they're for your parents."_

"_For what though?" Edward asked. "A ransom?"_

_James laughed out loud. "If I wanted money, Edward, I would have robbed a bank."_

"_Then what do you want?" he cried out. "We've been here for like two months now!"_

"_Exactly. Your parents need to know you're alive. They also need to know that both of you are together so that they can put two and two together."_

"_So it has to do with our parents?"_

"_You'll figure it out in due time, Edward. And so will your parents. They'll be happy to know you're alive."_

"_They'll track it. They'll know it was you who sent it. They'll find us."_

"_I doubt that," James said with a smile. "But...maybe."_

_

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_

**Next up...the dance! We're all excited...yes?**

**Review for an amazing teaser :)**

**Also...This story has been nominated for a glosp award in the category: ****Best "drop-everything-and-read" story - Hooked Fic  
Feel free to vote for me or any other story for that matter cause there are some amazing fics nominated over there.  
Voting ends October 26th. **

******Here's the link (it's also on my profile): http:/glospawards(dot)blogspot(dot)com/p/vote(dot)html**


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.

As always, thanks goes out to my amazing beta **SabLuvsLogan**

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PREVIOUSLY

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_Edward paused for a second then, realizing what it meant when they said they had no idea if he was even alive. "So then...that means...you never saw the...pictures?" Edward asked._

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Chapter 15

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"What pictures?" Alice asked.

Edward and Bella looked at each other as they realized they never asked anybody what had happened to the infamous pictures James and Laurent had taken that fateful day. They had both been so keen on being rescued when those pictures were sent out but when that day never came, they had forgotten about them.

"Um...never mind," Edward said.

"What pictures are you talking about, Edward?" Jasper asked.

"Just...forget I said anything. I was thinking of something else."

They decided to let it go but they all sincerely wondered what he was talking about. They relaxed for the rest of the night until they all left and Edward and Bella were left alone.

"I guess I should head home," Bella said.

"I guess...your dad is home right?" Edward asked.

"Yeah."

Edward was still fairly upset over his recent discovery about what his friends had gone through during the summer. He realized that he had managed to ignore not one, not two, but all four of his best friends' feelings. He had no idea how upset they'd been and he hated the fact that he never even thought about them. Edward knew Bella going home would result in him being stuck in his big house all alone and he really didn't want her to go.

"Do you want to maybe...hang out here for a little while? My parents aren't home so we can...relax or something."

"Sure," Bella said with a shrug. She tried to act like she didn't care whether she stayed or left but she didn't want to leave. She never wanted to leave. An empty house also meant peace and quiet for the both of them. It meant they didn't have to worry about Charlie listening in on their conversations and that thought was very appealing.

"Do you want to...stay in the living room?"

Bella thought about it for a second. "Can we go to your bedroom?" she asked shyly. "I like it there."

Edward smiled and nodded his head as he led the way up the stairs and into his room where they both lay down on his bed. They stayed in silence, enjoying each other's company and the quietness of the house when Edward spoke up.

"So that was an interesting night."

Bella smiled at him. "You're lucky you have such great friends, Edward."

"They're your friends too, Bella."

"I know. But you've known them since you were little. I don't have any friends like that. Sometimes I wish I grew up here with you guys."

Edward smiled and caressed her cheek. "I wish that too."

Another moment of silence passed.

"I wonder why we never asked anyone about those pictures," Bella whispered.

"Yeah, me too. They didn't even know we were alive. If Esme had gotten those pictures, she would have notified the cops then she would have called Alice."

"Maybe he never sent them."

"Maybe. I guess we can ask our parents."

Bella nodded and the two fell silent together. They lay side by side in the comfort and warmth of Edward's bed and they realized how perfect they felt in that moment.

"I really like your bed," Bella said.

"Yeah?" Edward said with a smirk. "You're welcome here anytime you want."

He winked at her and she blushed. "Don't say that, I'll never leave," she said as she wiggled closer to him so she could get comfortable.

He wrapped his arm around her. "I don't think that's a problem."

She giggled and looked up at him. "Are you sure about that?"

"Mmhmm," he said as he pulled her closer. She settled into his side then as she brought her arm up to lightly stroke the hair at the back of his neck.

"That feels really good," he said as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the small caresses.

They stayed like that for a while until Bella looked over at the clock and realized it was pretty late. She suggested she head back to her house before Carlisle and Esme got home and Edward agreed. They both got up, and Edward drove her home.

Bella spent the rest of the week confused over whether or not she was excited for the dance. She truly loved the dress she had picked out and she found herself being excited over wearing it. She also wanted Edward to see her in the dress. This notion confused her because as the weeks went on she continuously wanted to impress him. She wanted him to think of her the way she thought of him.

She loved everything about him.

She loved his personality, his eyes, his hair, his perfect smile and smirk. She loved his voice, his warmth, and his presence. Thinking back to all the guys she'd ever met, she realized she never felt anything for anyone.

She had crushes when she was younger and as she grew older there were some boys who she thought to be cute, but she never felt like she felt with Edward. What was once need for security was now want. She wanted to be near him, to smell him, to feel his hand in hers. And the more she thought of it, the more she wanted him to kiss her.

Bella was experiencing her very first teenage crush without even realizing it.

Edward noticed how nervous she seemed all week but he also realized how all of a sudden now, Bella was blushing a lot more than usual. Sometimes he would grab her hand like he always did and he would notice the light pink tint on her cheeks. He loved the way he made her blush so he started finding all sorts of different ways in order to do so. He noticed that slowly caressing her cheek or brushing the hair away from her face often did the trick so those actions were quickly becoming part of his daily routine.

Edward found himself looking forward to the dance but he was also very nervous for some reason. He was never nervous for anything the friends did together, but he suddenly worried over making a fool of himself in front of Bella. He realized that Bella was the only girl he ever really wanted to spend time with and he didn't know what to make of that. He wanted to impress her and to make her laugh and he didn't want her to think he was strange or anything like that.

When Saturday finally came, Edward and Bella parted ways early in the morning, knowing they wouldn't see each other until he would come to pick her up in the evening.

"I'm going to miss you today," he said as he hugged her goodbye.

"Me too," she whispered back.

"I think it'll be worth it in the end, right?"

"It should be," she said with a wink.

"I finally get to see you all dressed up. I'm excited."

"You should be. Based on what Alice and Rosalie told me they were going to do to me, I'm pretty sure I won't even be recognizable tonight."

"I'm sure I'll know who you are, Bella."

They said their goodbyes and fifteen minutes later, Alice and Rosalie picked Bella up for their hair appointments. They all wanted something very simple since it was only a dance and they were all able to mingle as their hairdressers went to work on their hair.

"So are you excited yet, Bella?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, I guess I am. I'm kinda nervous, though."

"Don't be. Everything will turn out great."

Alice was overly excited for a measly school dance but her positive attitude was starting to have an effect on Bella. As Bella sat having her hair done, Edward sat in Emmett's living room playing video games.

"I can't believe they're already getting ready for the dance," Emmett said.

"They're crazy," Jasper said.

"Yeah but they always go to the extreme for these things, though," Edward said.

"Yeah, but this is different," Emmett mocked. "It's our senior year so every dance matters. They need to look extra good because the pictures can end up in the yearbook."

Edward shook his head. "Whatever. As long as your girlfriends don't plaster Bella's face with makeup and make her look all different."

"Hey, Alice knows exactly what she's doing," Jasper said.

"So does Rosalie," Emmett defended.

Meanwhile at the hair salon, Bella's hair hung in long, loose curls around her shoulders as the woman working on her hair pinned up a small piece on her right side with a small clip. She had been ready to do an elegant up-do but Bella had forbid her from doing so. When they were all done with their hair, they headed back to Alice's to finish getting ready.

When they walked into her house, it was early afternoon so they decided to have some lunch. Alice made sandwiches and they sat down around her kitchen table to eat.

"I'm so excited to wear my dress!" Alice exclaimed.

"I'm excited for Emmett to see my dress," Rosalie said with a wink.

"Your parents aren't home tonight, right?" Alice asked.

Rosalie grinned. "That's right! It's going to be amazing!"

"You're so lucky. I never get to spend any time alone with Jasper. Bella and Edward probably spend more time together and they're not even dating."

"What?" Bella asked as she looked up and away from her sandwich.

"Your dad is like never home at night. Edward could probably be there all night and he wouldn't notice."

Bella let out a low laugh as she simply shrugged her shoulders.

"So Bella, are you going to ask Edward to dance tonight?" Rosalie asked.

Bella blushed as she realized she had already done so.

"We know you want to, Bella," Alice said.

"We agreed we'd share one dance."

"Really?" Rosalie said. "It better be a slow one. You should do this move where you slowly shift your hips against his...it'll drive him crazy. Emmett loves it when I do that shit."

"Yeah...I don't think I'll be shifting anything of mine against anything of Edward's. But thanks."

"I'm just giving you pointers. You two obviously like each other more than you think. Edward just needs a little confidence boost. He needs to know you want him too."

"You don't have to be so forward, Bella. Just lightly brush your hand over his arm or his chest, or through his hair. Give him subtle hints like that, you know? He'll handle the rest."

"Who said I even want him to do...anything to me..."

"Bella, please. We're not stupid. We see how you've been looking at each other lately. We've seen the progression. When we first met you, we believed that you guys were just really close friends. But now...not so much," Rosalie said.

"Come on, Bella. You know you want something to happen. You would be perfect for each other," Alice said with a small smile.

Bella smiled and contemplated what they were saying while reminding herself to remember their pointers. As she briefly thought once again about dancing closely with Edward, Emmett was describing all the things him and Rosalie were going to do that evening.

"Aw man, it's going to be amazing. All night with no parents. I love dances, man. I'm gonna act sweet all night and Rose is gonna be so turned on by the time we get back to her place."

"Alice has been excited all week," Jasper said with a smirk.

"Lucky bastard."

Jasper grinned and Edward laughed.

"When are you going to get some action, Edward?" Emmett asked.

Edward rolled his eyes.

"Rose told me Bella looks fucking hot in her dress, maybe you won't be able to resist."

"Maybe," Edward said with a shrug.

"Ooh!" Emmett and Jasper catcalled after him and Edward laughed. "Shut up, guys," he said.

"What are you waiting for man? She's totally into you. I feel like fucking kissing her for you," Emmett said.

"Maybe Newton will beat you to it tonight," Jasper said.

"Fuck him. He won't go near her," Edward said.

"Possessive are we? Seriously, dude. What are you waiting for?"

"I don't know...the moment hasn't presented itself."

"Okay...I don't believe that," Emmett said.

"Me neither," Jasper said.

"Well fuck you guys. I'll do it when I think it's right."

"But you will do it, right? If you're not willing to give her a full kiss just give her a quick peck or something. You're killing me with your shy glances and hand holding and hugging. Jesus Christ."

The guys spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing while the girls did their makeup and nails. Edward left Emmett's house in the evening to head home to shower, get dressed, and head over to Bella's. Once Alice and Rosalie finished Bella's makeup, they drove her home so she could get dressed in order to be ready for when Edward would come get her.

Edward rang Bella's doorbell at seven o'clock feeling incredibly nervous. His heart was pounding, his palms were sweating, and he wondered if he looked like an idiot or not. Chief Swan opened the door with a grunt and stepped aside so Edward could walk into the house.

"You look good," Charlie said.

"Thank you," Edward muttered.

Edward was begging time to go faster as he stood next to Charlie, waiting for Bella to walk down the stairs. When he saw a figure appear at the top of the landing, he knew his wait was worthwhile. Bella stood in the most beautiful dress that fell down to her knees as she slowly started to descend the stairs toward him. Her hair was in soft curls that cascaded around her shoulders and she smiled up at him, a beautiful pink blush coating her cheeks.

When she finally got to the bottom of the stairs, Edward reached out his hand and as she placed hers in his, he slowly bent over to give it a light kiss. He took a second to really take in her dress then. It was royal blue and it wrapped tightly around her waist, showing the slight curve of her hips. It only had one shoulder strap that came together in a sort of ripple, leaving her other shoulder completely bare. Edward saw the pale skin of her shoulder dotted with a few light freckles, and he immediately felt tightness in his stomach.

He looked into her eyes then as they shined in the dim light of the entrance. She was wearing a light layer of mascara with a hint of blue eyeliner and she looked absolutely beautiful. He looked at the length of her arms, revelling in the smoothness of her skin, and he noticed she wasn't wearing a single piece of jewellery except for the two bracelets he had given her.

As Edward stared at Bella, she stared at him and noticed how his outfit outlined every single inch of his body. He was wearing a plain white button down shirt tucked into a pair of black pants. The sleeves were rolled up his arms, exposing his forearms that had obviously grown since she last saw him. She also noticed how much bigger his upper body looked and how tall he really was. His hair was in its usual perfect mess and a light layer of stubble rested on his jaw. Bella bit her lip as she realized just how hot Edward really was and as she kept ogling him while he ogled her, their moment was interrupted by a throat clearing to their left.

"Hi dad," Bella whispered.

"You look beautiful, Bells."

"Thanks."

"We gotta get going," Edward said as he simply couldn't wait to get her alone.

Bella nodded her head and kissed Charlie goodbye as he told them both to be careful and to have fun. As Edward opened the door for Bella, she stepped out onto the front porch and before Edward could follow, Charlie called out to them.

"And no funny business!" he said, looking terribly serious.

"Dad!" Bella whined, completely embarrassed.

Edward laughed and shook his head and as he turned back toward Bella he knew it would take a hell of a lot of restraint to keep the 'funny business' at a minimum.

They got into his car and drove back to Edward's where the rest of the group was going to meet up with them. When Edward and Bella walked into his house, Esme was waiting there with her camera ready.

"Oh my goodness, Bella! You look absolutely stunning!"

Bella blushed and Esme came forward to give her a big hug.

"Carlisle!" she called out.

Carlisle came into the entrance with a smirk on his face and Bella realized where Edward got it from.

"Tell Bella how beautiful her dress is!" Esme said.

"You look very pretty, Bella," Carlisle said.

Bella blushed again and looked down at her feet. "Thank you," she muttered.

"What about me?" Edward whined.

Esme laughed and gave Edward a big kiss on the cheek. "You'll be the handsomest guy there, sweetie."

Edward grinned and Bella laughed before Esme positioned them for pictures. Bella wrapped her arm around his waist while Edward wrapped his around her shoulder and as his bare hand touched her bare shoulder, he couldn't keep the smile from forming on his face.

The rest of the friends showed up later and they gushed over how great everyone looked before Esme snapped a few more pictures. When she was satisfied, they all headed outside to get ready to leave. The original plan had been to take Emmett's jeep but Edward had been worried about something happening, so he decided to take his own car in case they needed to leave early.

When they walked into the gym, most of the student body had already arrived and were already dancing and having a good time. The gym wasn't heavily decorated or anything grand, but it did look different from their regular classes. Balloons and streamers were hanging from the walls, there were long tables set up along the back wall with white table cloths, and there were speakers and a dance floor set up in the middle.

The first thing they did was find their own table to settle down. Edward and Bella sat down next to each other as Rosalie and Alice deposited their purses and dragged Emmett and Jasper toward the dance floor.

"So it begins," Edward said.

Bella laughed. "They really jump right in, eh?"

"Yep."

"What do you usually do? I mean you used to come with them so would you dance with them?"

"Yeah...I did whatever I felt like doing I guess. I would dance and mingle and yeah. The same thing we'll do tonight," he said.

Bella nodded and they sat for a little while talking and laughing until they got bored and decided to get up and walk around. They said hi to their classmates, talked with them for a little while, laughed at the people dancing, drank, and had a good time.

When Edward had to go to the bathroom, Bella was left sitting at the table alone. She watched the dance floor, noticing Alice and Rosalie dancing with Jasper and Emmett and having a great time. She laughed as Emmett pulled off some amazing moves but was distracted by Mike Newton stepping into her line of vision.

"Hi, Bella," he said.

"Hi, Mike."

He sat down next to her then as he fidgeted with his pants.

"I thought you weren't coming to the dance?"

Bella blushed in embarrassment. "Yeah...well...Alice forced me."

Mike nodded slowly as they fell into a short silence.

"So...are you having fun?" he asked.

Bella gave him a small nod. "Yeah, I am. Are you?"

"Yeah...it's okay."

There was a short silence as Mike kept opening and closing his mouth to talk but Bella kept looking toward the dance floor.

"Do you want to dance?" he blurted.

"Oh...I don't dance...sorry Mike."

Mike sighed and turned toward her.

"Come on, Bella. One little dance and I'll leave you alone." Bella turned to look at him. "One dance and you come right back here and I don't talk to you for the rest of the night."

Bella looked around for a second and realized that Edward would be coming back from the bathroom any second.

"Edward is going to be coming back soon..."

"Edward is over there getting cozy with Lauren," Mike said as he nodded his head in Edward's direction.

Bella turned to look at where he was pointing and saw Edward and Lauren talking by the changing rooms. She continued to look on as Lauren laughed at something Edward said while she placed her hand on his chest and let it slide down his arm to grab his hand in hers.

Bella felt the bile rise in her throat as Lauren grasped the same hand she had been so used to holding. In a moment of clouded thoughts, Bella agreed to Mike's dance. They both got up and headed to the dance floor as a relatively slow song started to play. Bella awkwardly placed her hands around his neck and Mike lightly placed his on her hips and they swayed to the music.

In their own corner of the room, Edward was trying to get Lauren to go back to the dance floor so he could get back to Bella.

"Come on, Edward. One little dance. You've danced with me before. It's been fun."

"Sorry, Lauren. I gotta get back to Bella. She's all alone over there."

"Bella's dancing with Mike, Edward."

Edward laughed. "Right. As if Bella would ever dance with Mike."

Lauren smirked and pointed to the spot on the dance floor where Bella had her arms around Mike's neck. Edward looked over her shoulder and the second he spotted them together, his heart plummeted. He couldn't see Bella's face so he didn't know if she was enjoying herself or not but he couldn't help the nausea that was taking over.

In a spur of the moment decision, he grabbed Lauren by the elbow and dragged her toward the dance floor where he stopped right beside Bella and Mike. He placed his hands on Lauren's hips as she wrapped her arms around his neck and they danced.

As Mike and Bella slowly turned in circles, Bella decided to look up and when she saw Edward and Lauren together, she felt the queasiness return. Lauren was much more forward than she was so her entire body was pressed against Edward's and though he didn't look to be enjoying it, he also wasn't pushing her away. Bella saw Edward's hands on Lauren's hips and when she looked back up to his face, she saw his eyes boring into hers. She didn't know what to do so she immediately looked away, willing herself not to cry.

Edward hated the fact that Lauren was practically grinding on him but his hands firmly kept her hips away from his. As he stared at Bella, he saw her eyes flick toward where he was dancing and he saw the shock register in her features. He saw the pain in her eyes and although he hated that look, he needed her to know that she had hurt him first.

The second the song ended, Edward watched as Bella quickly ran off the dance floor and toward the exit. He immediately followed after her leaving Lauren and Mike alone but neither Edward nor Bella cared about them.

Edward found Bella sitting on a small bench outside. Neither said a word as he slowly sat down next to her and they shared a moment of silence. Bella was staring down at her feet as a lone tear fell down her cheek and she didn't understand what she was feeling. All she could think about was Edward's hands on Lauren's hips. She wanted to erase the image from her mind but she also realized that he wasn't her boyfriend and he was allowed to dance with whoever he wanted. She just hadn't expected him to.

"We should go inside, it's cold out here," Edward whispered.

Bella merely shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't mad at him. She wasn't being grouchy. She simply had nothing to say as she pondered over what she was feeling.

"I thought you didn't dance," Edward whispered. His words were barely audible but Bella heard each one as the cold night air swirled around her bare legs.

"I thought you hated Lauren Mallory," she countered back.

Edward didn't say anything. They continued to sit in silence.

"Why were you dancing with him?" Edward said sadly.

"Why were you dancing with her?"

"Because you were dancing with him."

Bella opened her mouth to say something but couldn't think of anything as she realized her decision to dance with Mike started this whole thing.

"He...asked me..."

"She asked me."

"I didn't want to dance with him."

"Why didn't you say no, then?"

"Because I saw you holding Lauren's hand and I just...said yes."

"Holding Lauren's hand? When was I holding her hand?"

"Well...she grabbed your hand...I don't know..." Bella replied, shaking her head in frustration.

There was a moment of silence before Edward let out a low laugh.

"So...you danced with Mike because I was with Lauren...and I danced with Lauren because you were with Mike?"

Bella let out a small laugh. "I guess so."

Edward laughed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry I danced with Mike," Bella whispered.

"I'm sorry I danced with Lauren."

They stayed in silence for a little longer until Bella slowly slid toward him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Should we head back inside?" he asked.

She nodded and as quickly as the misunderstanding had started, they were back to being Edward and Bella. She got up and Edward placed his hand on her lower back as he led her back into the gym. They sat back down at their table and they laughed and joked for the rest of the evening.

"Oh my God! My feet are killing me!" Alice cried out as they all approached the table and sat down.

"Why aren't you guys dancing?" Emmett asked. "Oh right...Bella doesn't dance."

"That's right," Bella said matter-of-factly.

They mingled casually for a little while as they caught their breath but when a song came on that Alice and Rosalie loved, they all jumped back up and headed toward the dance floor.

"And, we're alone again," Edward said with a small laugh.

"I seriously don't understand how they've been dancing all night long. My feet would be ready to fall off."

"Yeah, Alice and Rosalie are like a different breed of human or something."

"Nah...I think they're just girls."

"And you are..."

"I'm a girl too but...not like that. It took a lot of effort to get me into these shoes." Bella lifted her right leg then, pointing her toe to show Edward her shoe. His eyes raked over her leg as he saw the pale, smooth skin leading to her small heel.

"I think they're nice," Edward said, nervously.

"Yeah...I like them too, but I'll never wear them again."

"Why not?"

"Well...I don't know. If we go to anymore dances I figure Alice and Rosalie won't ever let me where the same shoes twice."

Edward laughed and forced his eyes away from her legs as she placed her foot back under the table.

Another slow song came on then as the MC announced that he would be slowing the music down for the end of the dance. Edward knew what that meant and he watched as every girl coupled with every guy and they all joined on the dance floor. Edward suddenly got very nervous as he didn't know what to do. Bella had promised him a dance but he didn't know how to ask her. She clearly hated dancing but she had said yes to Mike Newton, so she should definitely say yes to him if he were to ask.

Throughout the entire first song he contemplated different ways of asking her but he was always too shy. He looked over at her momentarily and he saw the small blush on her cheeks as she bit her lip, nervously staring down and caressing the bracelet he had given her. He thought back to their night together and everything suddenly added up.

Bella told him she wanted to dance with him and only him.

She had been excited to see him when he went to pick her up.

She only danced with Mike because she had seen him with Lauren.

He turned toward her then and lightly grabbed her hand in his.

"Bella..." he said with newfound confidence. "Would you like to dance with me?"

Bella's heart took off at a mile a minute as she shyly nodded her head yes. Edward smiled at the fact that she hadn't rejected him and they both got up as he led her away from the dance floor.

They stepped into a dark corner where no one else was standing as Edward slowly placed his arm around her waist. He pulled her toward him as he grabbed her right hand in his, bringing it up and interlacing their fingers. She slowly brought her left hand around his neck and he started to lead their movements as they took small steps together.

Edward looked down at her with a smile. Bella softly bit her lip and smiled back. She placed her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and they continued to slow dance in a small circle.

Bella loved the fact that of all the girls there, she was the one that Edward brought to this corner. She was the one he wanted to dance with and she didn't even have to ask him. He had asked her. She couldn't keep the smile that was forming on her face and she realized she didn't want to anyways.

She remembered what it felt like to have Mike's clammy hands on her waist and she had hated it. Edward's were soft and firm and she felt the butterfly's doing somersaults in her stomach as his body pressed against hers.

She listened to the soothing rhythm of his heart and coupled with the music playing in the background, she was able to fully relax in his grasp. They swayed back and forth and Edward found himself without a care in the world as he held Bella snugly against him. He slowly bent down to kiss the top of her head as he smelled her hair and caressed her back.

She slowly lifted her head to look at him as she smiled and blushed. Their hands that had been intertwined slowly disconnected as Bella placed hers on his chest and Edward slowly brought his forward so he could cup her face while he stroked her cheek with his thumb.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered.

She looked into his eyes and she knew in that moment that she felt something inexplicable for Edward. She wanted him to touch her, to hold her, to be near her. She looked into his eyes and she saw everything he'd ever done for her. He was right there in front of her, being as sweet as he always was, and she needed to thank him for it. She slowly leaned up and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Don't thank me. It's the truth," he said as he swiped her hair away from her naked shoulder.

"Not just that," she said with a small smile. "Thank you for...everything. You're...so perfect and so sweet and I've never really said thank you."

"You don't have to thank me for that, Bella. It's what I'm here for."

"No...You need to know how much I appreciate everything you've ever done for me."

Edward smiled. "You're welcome, Bella."

She smiled and placed her head back on his chest. Edward looked down at her and realized just how right she felt. She fit so perfectly into his arms and it wasn't because she had been there so many times before, it was because that was where she belonged – like she was crafted to be placed right there. He looked at her flawless skin and her soft brown hair. He looked at the smoothness of her shoulder and the slight tint of pink that touched her cheeks. He looked at her pink, soft and plump lips as they lay inches from his shirt and he immediately knew what he wanted.

He wanted her.

He wanted her to be his.

He wanted nothing more than to slowly lift her head upward to place a soft kiss on her lips but he looked at where they were and he knew he didn't want their first kiss to happen in the gym of Forks High School during the October dance.

"Hey," he said as he slowly bent down toward her ear. She looked at him with that same soft smile and he smiled back. "Do you want to get out of here? Go back home?" he asked, desperately hoping she would say yes.

She nodded her head and he suddenly felt the nerves build back up because he knew what he wanted to do when they got back home. He grabbed her hand in his and they slowly walked toward the exit. As they got to Edward's car, he found himself thanking the heavens that he had decided to bring his own car and not ride with Emmett.

They dropped Edward's car off at his house as they walked back to Bella's. She went in first, making sure Charlie was sleeping before letting Edward in and heading up to her bedroom. She lightly closed the door as she let out a big sigh before bending over and removing her shoes. Edward sat on her desk chair as he watched her moan at the feeling of taking off her uncomfortable shoes. He watched as she sat down on her bed, lifting her legs, massaging her feet and sighing in satisfaction. He then watched as she leaned over to grab a hair tie on her nightstand, twisting her long curls up into a high ponytail, exposing the soft skin of her neck and shoulder.

Edward gulped nervously as he tried to control himself. Bella looked up at him with a small smile.

"I feel better now," she said as she lay herself down on her bed.

Edward slowly approached her and took off his shoes as he lay down beside her. He looked over at her as her eyes were lightly closed, her eyelashes resting on that same pink blush that adorned her cheeks all night. He raised himself onto one elbow and twisted toward her before stroking her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him.

"Did you have fun tonight?" he whispered.

"I really did," she said with a nod.

"Can I ask you something?" he said slowly.

Bella nodded and looked into his eyes.

"You saw me with Lauren...and then you decided to dance with Mike. But Lauren and I were just talking so were you...jealous?"

Bella bit her lip, looked down at her hands, and slowly nodded.

"Why?" he asked.

Bella bit her lip harder as she shrugged her shoulders. She wanted to tell him it was because she didn't want him talking to Lauren. She didn't want him to make her laugh. She didn't want Lauren's hand in his. And she certainly didn't want Edward's hands on her hips.

She wanted him to herself but she was too shy to say it out loud.

"Is it just Lauren Mallory you don't want me dancing with?" he whispered.

Bella shook her head no.

"I don't want you dancing with any other guys either."

Bella looked up at him nervously. Edward shifted closer to her.

"I don't know why...all of a sudden...we're jealous of other guys and girls..." Bella said.

"I think I know why." Edward continued to slowly caress her cheek until he let his hand slowly drift down her neck to her bare shoulder. He was drawing small circles with his fingers on her arm and he could hear her breathing pick up.

"Why?" she whispered breathily.

"Do I have to say it out loud?" he asked rhetorically.

They stared into each other's eyes then as Edward spoke up again. "I...I hated seeing Mike's hands on you."

"I hated them there."

Edward gave her a small smile.

"I hated Lauren's body against yours," Bella whispered.

"I hated it too."

Bella slowly brought her hand up to remove the hair that had fallen in his eyes, a movement they both thoroughly enjoyed.

"You remember when we were talking about first kisses?"

They were so close, and since Bella had never turned the lights on when she walked into her room, the darkness that fell over the room heightened their senses.

"Yes," Bella whispered.

"I...I would definitely hate it if Mike...or anyone else...had your first kiss."

His hand travelled down her arm and back up again. Bella could feel the butterfly's return to her stomach as they fluttered at Edward's words.

"Who do you want to have my first kiss?"

"I think you know who," Edward said as he shifted closer to her.

The air in the room had changed significantly as they both lay on her bed, inches apart.

"Bella," he whispered. "I want to be your first kiss."

Bella's heart took off at a mile a minute. "I want that too."

He lowered himself slowly so his face was closer to hers.

"I need you to ask me, Bella. I need to know I'm not putting ideas in your head. I need to know you want me to."

Bella looked into his eyes as she shifted upward so she was sitting upright. Edward sat up as well and Bella took his hand in hers.

"Edward," she whispered. "I don't want you holding Lauren Mallory's hand. I don't want you dancing with her or making her laugh or any of that stuff because I want you to do that with me. I was so...so jealous of her tonight and I don't want to feel like that again."

Edward didn't say anything. He was waiting for the words he desperately needed to hear.

"Edward, I want you to be my first kiss," she whispered. "I want you to be my first kiss...right now."

That was all he needed to hear. He slowly leaned over then as their noses brushed against each others. His lips ghosted over hers before her eyes fluttered closed and their lips finally connected. Her lips were soft and perfect and when the tiniest of sounds escaped her lips he pressed his against hers more firmly. He slowly took her bottom lip as he laced his fingers through her soft hair. Bella had never felt anything like what she was currently experiencing. The feel of Edward's lips against her own was overwhelming and even though she had no idea what she was doing, she closed her eyes and moved her lips and revelled in the feeling of Edward. The kiss was slow and sweet and perfect and as Edward pulled away from her gently, Bella smiled.

"You're smiling," Edward whispered as their foreheads stayed together. "I take that as a good thing."

"I liked it," she said slowly.

Edward smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she said with a smile and nod. "I liked it a lot."

"I told you I would let you find out on your own how good of a kisser I was."

Bella smiled again. "I'm really glad I'm not with Mike right now," she whispered.

"Bella...Can we not talk about Mike Newton right now?"

Bella laughed and they stayed together in silence with their foreheads pressing against each others.

"Can we do it again?" Bella asked shyly.

Edward laughed and nodded as he leaned into her. He pressed his lips to hers and she brought her hands up into his hair. They kissed softly and sweetly until Edward placed his hand on her lower back, pulling her closer to him. They both lifted onto their knees then, pressing their bodies into each other. Bella let out a small moan as Edward groaned. He let his hand travel from her lower back to her waist then up her arm and back down to her hip.

They broke apart again and the smile was still plastered to Bella's face.

"I really do love it when you smile," Edward said, one hand still firmly placed on her hip while the other caressed her cheek.

Bella's fingers played with the hair at the back of his neck. "I'm really happy right now."

"Me too," he whispered as he grabbed her face between his hands and leaned in for another sweet kiss.

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**Good God I hope you guys enjoyed this one. There was a lot of anticipation for this chapter and I hope I've satisfied everyone :)**

**Voting is still open for the Glosp Awards - The Perfect Space is nominated for Best "drop-everything-and-read" story - Hooked Fic**

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**********Review for teasers!**


	17. Chapter 16

**I'm late!**

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.

As always, thanks goes out to my amazing beta **SabLuvsLogan**

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**Chapter 16**

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Bella awoke to the feel of Edward's arm wrapped softly around her waist. She shifted into him and revelled in the warmth as she sighed in satisfaction. She rolled onto her back, bringing Edward's hand onto her stomach, and when she turned to look at him, she saw his eyelashes resting lightly on his cheek as he took even breaths. Her eyes drifted down to his lips and she blushed as she remembered every second of the previous night.

She remembered his hands, his breath, his grasp, his hold, his smile, everything. She remembered how he leaned into her and how perfect his lips felt on hers. She remembered every word he said to make her feel wanted and safe. She smiled as she realized she had had her perfect first kiss with exactly who she wanted to have it with.

She briefly wondered what would happen now – what would be the next step for them? Was Edward her boyfriend? Did she want Edward to be her boyfriend? She had never had a boyfriend and didn't really know what it consisted of but being able to call Edward hers was a very appealing notion.

She turned her head then to really look at him. She stared at him, noticing just how handsome he was, until he started to stir. He shifted as his eyes remained closed and he wrapped his arm further around her waist and pulled her close. His eyes slowly drifted open and he smiled at the feel of Bella's small body under his arm.

"Morning," he whispered with a smile and a yawn.

"Morning," she replied.

Bella suddenly felt shy as she didn't know what to do or say. Every morning had been so routine as they would both wake up and Edward would head home to shower and dress. She didn't know what would happen this morning because she didn't know what would change as a result of the previous night.

"How did you sleep?" Edward asked.

"Good. You?"

"Great," he said as he leaned in to give her a sweet kiss. Before his lips touched hers, Bella recoiled, quickly placing her pillow over her mouth and shaking her head no.

"I'm...sorry..." Edward said nervously, thinking Bella had thought over their kisses from the previous night and reconsidered what she wanted. He sat upright and nervously ran his fingers through his hair. "I thought...did you... change your...mind?"

Bella's eyes widened. "No!" she said from behind the pillow.

"Then what?"

"It's morning," she whispered shyly.

"So what?"

"It's...morning," she said, emphasizing the final word.

"Morn..." he started but quickly realized what she meant. How quickly she recoiled from him and the pillow in front of her mouth could only mean one thing – morning breath.

Edward laughed. "Bella! Come on!"

He leaned in again but she pushed him away, shaking her head. He leaned forward again trying to pin her down but she kept on pushing. A knock at her bedroom door made them both freeze.

"Bells? You awake? Can I come in?" Charlie asked from the other side.

"No!" she called out. "I'm getting dressed...just hold on a sec."

"Fuck," Edward whispered.

They both bolted upright as they sprung into action.

"Why is he at my door?"

Edward turned to look at the clock. "We slept in. I'm usually gone by this time."

"Crap, crap, crap!" Bella whispered worriedly.

Edward quietly ran to the window. He placed one leg over the sill and turned back toward her.

"You still owe me a kiss," he whispered.

She giggled quietly and pushed him out as he quickly climbed down the tree and ran toward his house.

"Bells? What the hell are you doing in there?" Charlie called from the other side of the door.

"Just a second!"

She pulled all the blankets off the floor, threw them onto the bed, and opened her bedroom door.

"Hey dad, what's up?" she asked nonchalantly.

"I thought you were getting dressed," he said, noticing her pyjamas.

"Well, I was about to but then you knocked so I put my pyjamas back on."

She was amazed at how quickly she had thought that up but she was sure the worry was eminent on her face. Charlie looked around her for a second, and she wondered if he knew Edward had stayed the night. After a short pause, he spoke up.

"I need to work all day today. I'll be home tonight but I just wanted to let you know before I left."

"Oh alright, have fun."

"You have your cooking lesson with Esme this afternoon, right?"

"Yeah. I'll head over there around noon and then we have our Dr Aro appointment tonight."

"Right. Well, have fun and I'll see you when you get home tonight."

They said their goodbyes and he walked down the stairs and out the front door. She sat on her bed, willing her heart rate to go down as she realized that was not at all how she wanted the morning after her first kiss with Edward to go. She threw her arm over her eyes and sunk into her bed, remembering exactly what had happened in that exact spot a mere ten hours prior. She once again thought back to the entire evening leading up to the kiss but her thoughts were interrupted by her cell phone ringing from her bag.

"Hello?" she said once she retrieved it from her purse.

"Interesting morning," Edward answered.

Bella laughed. "I'm really sorry about that. That wasn't exactly how I pictured the morning going."

Edward chuckled. "Me neither."

There was a short pause as Bella tried to think of something to say.

"You're coming here for cooking lessons with my mom, right?" Edward asked.

"Yeah."

"If you want...um...you can come a bit earlier and we can...hang out a bit before. Watch some TV or something..."

Bella smiled. "Sure, that sounds good. I just need to um...get dressed and stuff."

"And brush your teeth?" Edward asked.

She could hear his smile in his voice. "Yes."

"I'm looking forward to it."

They hung up and Bella rushed to the bathroom in order to get ready so she would have more time with Edward before her lesson with Esme. She thoroughly brushed her teeth and even rinsed with Scope, making sure her breath smelled absolutely perfect, before brushing her hair down straight. She briefly thought about putting a light coat of mascara on but then realized she didn't want Esme to think anything was different.

She went back to her room then, applying more deodorant than usual before putting on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved black t-shirt. When she was ready, she grabbed her stuff and headed to Edward's.

When she rang the doorbell, Edward answered with a smile plastered to his face. He immediately pulled her into a hug as he leaned down to lay a long, sweet kiss on her lips. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck and they revelled in the feel of each other.

"God, I've been waiting all morning for that," he said as they broke away.

"Edward? Is that Bella?" Esme called from the other room.

"Damn it," Edward whispered as he pulled away from her.

Esme rounded the corner then and smiled as she saw Bella. "Bella! You're early! This is even better, we can start earlier!"

Bella smiled and Edward frowned. He thought of telling his mom he wanted to hang out with her for a little while before her lesson but he quickly realized that would come off as a little strange, so he decided not to say anything. Esme pulled Bella into the kitchen and Edward threw his head back and groaned.

Bella loved her Sunday cooking lessons as she always had the chance to have a nice relaxing afternoon with Esme. On this particular day however, she wanted nothing more than to just spend the entire afternoon kissing Edward. She knew she couldn't do that all day long but it still didn't prevent her from thinking about it.

"So, Bella, today I decided we're going to make chilli! Chilli is filling so you don't have to make a lot and it's something else that's really good as leftover."

Bella nodded and they jumped right into the preparations as Esme once again entered her serious teacher mode. Half an hour later, Edward walked into the kitchen wearing a tight grey t-shirt and a pair of black sweatpants. Bella bit her lip as she stared him up and down and she had to physically restrain herself from running toward him and throwing her arms around his neck.

Edward saw her staring and he smirked.

"I'm going to the gym. I'll be back in a bit."

"Alright, son. Have fun. Your gym bag is in the laundry room if you were looking for it."

"Yeah, I was just going to ask you. I went in but I couldn't find it. It's not there."

"It's definitely there, Edward. I just saw it," Esme replied not looking up from the celery she was chopping.

Bella on the other hand couldn't keep her eyes off of Edward throughout the entire conversation with his mother.

"No, it's definitely not," he answered.

"Yes, it is."

"Go look for yourself then," he said motioning towards the room.

Esme sighed and huffed before putting the knife down and exiting the kitchen, desperate to prove Edward wrong. The second she stepped out of the room, he smirked and approached Bella.

"I just bought us a good two minutes," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Bella laughed as she ran her hands down his chest. The thin layer of material allowed her to feel every single muscle.

"I like this t-shirt," she whispered as she stepped closer to him.

"Yeah?" he asked, dipping his head forward.

"Mmhmm."

They leaned into each other then, knowing they had mere seconds before Esme came back into the room. Their lips brushed against each others as Bella brought her hands into his hair, pulling him forward as she couldn't control herself. She pressed her body against his and he groaned while deepening the kiss. They heard Esme's footsteps approaching and they broke apart.

"Here it is, Edward. You're just blind," she said, handing him the bag.

"Oops," he said while shrugging his shoulders.

Esme turned around and he winked at Bella before saying his goodbyes and leaving the house. Bella blushed and once again tried to keep the smile at bay.

"Alright, now where were we?" Esme said.

They continued where they left off and Bella found herself once again missing Edward's presence. She listened to Esme's every word but she couldn't stop thinking about Edward and his kisses. With a smile on her face, she thought of his soft lips and his perfect hair and she wondered if she was as good at kissing as he was. She had been worried about being compared to Jessica Stanley, who she knows has kissed countless guys, but she decided not to think about that.

"So how was the dance last night, Bella?" Esme asked, interrupting Bella from her thoughts.

"It was actually really good."

"I'm so glad! Forks High doesn't have much money but usually they manage quite well."

"It was perfect. Those things in Phoenix used to be so crazy and extravagant."

Esme laughed and nodded. "You know, I'm really glad you're getting so accustomed to life in Forks. We've all been trying to make you comfortable, you know? I'm glad it's working."

"Everyone has really been so great. I never thought I would end up preferring life here but I really do. Everything is so different. I never felt like I belonged in Phoenix. I always felt...out of place and different from everyone at school. "

Bella always found it extremely easy to talk to Esme about whatever she was feeling. She realized that Esme was quickly becoming like a second mother to her because she truly felt she could tell her anything. Esme always understood whatever Bella said and she always felt comforted after her cooking lessons.

"I'm really glad, sweetie. Your dad was really worried and all he's wanted was for you to feel comfortable here. He wanted it to feel like home to you, and not just some place you were staying at temporarily."

"Yeah... I know he tries really hard."

"I wish you could see the change we all see. Before you moved here, Bella, he was so...lonely. He worked morning, noon, and night. He was always at the station, working. He used to talk about you all the time. About his daughter who lived with his ex-wife back in Phoenix. A huge smile would always be on his face when he was talking about you, but then he would go right back to being Chief Swan. I know it doesn't seem like it, but he is much happier now."

Bella gave Esme a small smile. "I didn't know that about him."

"You're everything to him, Bella. He worked so hard to get his change in schedule so he could be with you for supper. He finally got it and he called me and he was so excited."

Bella smiled. "I'm looking forward to that too."

"He's a great guy."

"Yeah. He just worries too much. You all do actually."

Esme chuckled. "Charlie is a cop, sweetie. He knows what's out there so he worries. Carlisle is a doctor. He's seen people at their very lowest so he worries. I'm a mother. So I worry. You're stuck with us but we do this for you guys. It's in our blood, Bella."

Bella smiled and nodded.

"Did you know it was Carlisle's idea to have you guys talk to Dr Aro, not Charlie's? Carlisle saw you two when you first got back and he felt it was necessary. He spoke to Charlie and I and we all agreed it was for the best."

"Yeah, I sort of had a feeling. My mom was shocked when I told her because Charlie never believed in that sort of thing beforehand."

"I think when it comes to your safety and well-being, Charlie is prepared to do a whole bunch of crazy things."

Bella paused for a second. "Can I ask what he was like...when we were...gone?"

Esme looked up at Bella then back down to the vegetables on the counter.

"Renee was the first to find out," she started slowly. "She waited two days before calling Charlie and when she did, he just...he never acted as a father, Bella. He acted as a cop. The cops in Phoenix tried to tell him that he had no business mulling in their affairs but he didn't care. He was the Chief of Police in Forks, Washington and his daughter was missing. He dove into his work, Bella. He did everything humanly possible in order to find you.

"He was already dealing with Edward's disappearance but he was so conflicted. He knew he had to let the people in Phoenix find you so for a while he tried to concentrate solely on finding Edward but he just couldn't give it all of his attention. We were all very...frustrated...and he kept his calm throughout."

Bella nodded.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. It's hard to talk about. It was...we worry because we now understand the consequences of not worrying."

"I know that."

"I really do hope you two take advantage of what Dr Aro is providing. I know Edward can be stubborn but don't let his reluctance to open up prevent you from doing so. You'll feel better about it if you do. And Dr Aro will listen to anything you have to say. It doesn't have to be about those months."

"I know...I try sometimes and it really does feel better."

"I hope so, because he can really help."

Bella knew what Esme meant and for the first time she realized that Edward may actually be preventing her from speaking up during their bi-weekly sessions. She often found herself wanting to tell Dr Aro more but Edward had always been so reluctant that she decided to remain quiet.

She continued to cut the multitude of vegetables that would be going into the chilli but her mind was elsewhere. She watched and listened as Esme explained the various spices you could add in order to make it more or less spicy but Bella kept thinking back to her appointments with Dr Aro.

When Edward got home from the gym, he took a quick a shower before the three of them sat down and had a nice warm bowl of the chilli they had spent the afternoon cooking. When they were all done, it was time for their appointment with Dr Aro

"Good evening, Edward and Bella," he said as they entered the room and sat on their usual couch.

"Good evening," they mumbled back.

"How are you, Edward?" he asked, trying to get him to say something.

"I'm good."

"I'm glad. And you, Bella?"

"I'm good, too."

"Fantastic. Everybody's good. The dance you told me about on Wednesday was last night, right? It went well?"

They both nodded and tried not to come off as being too excited since it was easily the best night of both their lives.

"Did you dance, Bella?"

"A little bit," she said as a small blush crept up her cheeks. Edward noticed and smirked inconspicuously.

"You had fun though?"

"Yeah, it was better than I thought it would be."

"I'm glad. And Edward, what about you? Did you dance and have fun?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Good. How was the rest of your week?"

They talked a little bit about how they were doing and how school was treating them. They needed to keep Dr Aro up to date in every single aspect of their lives. He needed to know if they were making new friends, if they were getting good grades, and what they were doing for fun. As a result, he knew about basically everything. He knew Edward and Bella were taking self-defense lessons at the gym with Felix. He knew Bella had weekly phone calls with her mother, and weekly cooking lessons with Esme. He knew about Charlie's change in schedule at work. He knew everything.

"There's something I need to suggest that I know you both won't be pleased with, but you need to hear me out."

They remained silent as they knew they weren't going to like whatever he was about to say.

"These sessions have been great. You've been opening up a little bit more but the truth is you're here to get over the events of the summer. What I would like to suggest are individual sessions. On Sundays I will speak to the both of you together, and on Wednesdays I will speak to you individually."

"Why?" Edward immediately asked.

"Because I think we'll be more effective if I can really hear from you alone. I want to know what you have to say when Bella's not around, Edward."

"There's nothing I can't say with her here."

"I know that. But maybe there are some things I would like to say to you that Bella shouldn't hear."

"I'm just going to tell her anyways."

Dr Aro sighed. "On Wednesday we're going to try for individual sessions. Edward you will come at four and Bella at five. If it doesn't work out, we can switch back but I think this is needed at this level. I've wanted you two to get some separation but you guys don't seem to be too accepting on that front. I know we tried it out a little bit but we've really gotten nowhere in these past sessions."

"That's not true. We feel comfortable."

"Edward, don't speak for Bella, please."

"Bella, are you comfortable?" Edward asked.

Bella looked at him then back at Dr Aro not knowing that to say. Dr Aro sighed and straightened in his chair.

"Edward, do you realize you were taken against your will and forced to live in a stranger's basement for four months because he wouldn't let you leave?"

Bella immediately began to shift in her seat, nervously fidgeting with the rope on her wrist.

"No I wasn't aware. Thank you for enlightening me though."

"You're defensive. Your entire body just went rigid. I didn't even say the word kidnapping or James and you went completely stiff."

Proving Dr Aro's point, Edward did just that at his words.

"You're uncomfortable. Every single day you're uncomfortable."

"That's not true," Edward said. "When I'm with Bella, ask her, I'm perfectly fine."

"Perfectly fine," Dr Aro repeated. "Perfectly fine is not where I want you to be, Edward. I want you to be relaxed. I want you to feel confident and assured that nothing will happen to you. I want you to be perfect. To feel perfect. And I want you to feel that way even when Bella is on the other side of the world."

"You keep saying that I don't feel the way I should be feeling. I feel normal. I feel fine."

"But you don't. You don't feel fine because I say the words taken against your will and your jaw locks, your eyes narrow, your hands ball up into fists."

Edward looked down at himself and realized just how rigid he had become.

"Edward you're not as strong as you think you are. And Bella is much more vulnerable than you realize. Frankly I don't understand how you two spend the entire night apart from each other."

They both nervously looked down at the ground.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Dr Aro asked, noticing their nervousness. He had been hoping for them to admit to their sleeping arrangements a long time ago but he now knew that as long as the two of them were together, neither would say a word about anything. Individual sessions were now the only option available to him.

"You are too opposed to trying anything different, Edward. And you didn't even ask Bella what she wanted. Maybe she likes the idea of individual sessions. Have you thought about that?"

Edward looked down and shook his head. He hated the idea of him sitting in this room alone with the doctor. He also hated the idea of Bella sitting alone in the room with him. The car ride home was another quiet one as Dr Aro had once again managed to bring down their high. They had been so happy all day and one measly hour with him got them depressed. Edward dropped Bella off at home and he headed back to his place to drop off his car.

When he went over later that night, she opened the window with a small smile on her face.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," he said, looking more tired than usual.

"Look...about the individual sessions..."

"I don't want to talk about it," Edward said. "We were having such a great day. Let's just...go back to that, okay?"

Bella gave him another small smile and nodded. He opened his arms up and she settled herself between them. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he wrapped his around hers as he rested his head on hers. They stayed like that for awhile until Bella shifted her head upward and their lips connected in a soft kiss.

"Can I ask you something kind of embarrassing?" Bella asked.

Edward smiled. "Yes."

"Am I...okay...at this?"

"Are you okay at this?" Edward repeated not understanding what she was saying.

"Yeah...do I suck?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, once again completely confused.

"You know...the...kissing...stuff..."

Edward laughed and Bella frowned. "You're serious?" he asked.

"Yes. Edward you've kissed like a million girls and I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Okay...first of all, I have not kissed a million girls. Second of all, do you hear me complaining?"

"Well...no...but I figured you would spare my feelings and not tell me how horrible I was after our first kiss."

"Bella...that kiss last night was the best kiss I've ever had. The ones today are just adding to that."

She smiled. "Promise?"

"Promise," he whispered as he leaned into her, once again letting their lips connect.

The kiss intensified as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her closer to him. As he took her bottom lip in his, his tongue came out to swipe against it. She opened further to let him in and when she felt the warmth of his tongue on hers, a small moan escaped her lips. She slowly let her tongue slide against his and he pulled her even closer. As they panted and kissed and touched and grabbed, they broke apart to catch their breath.

"Wow," Bella whispered.

Edward smirked. "What about me? Am I okay?"

Bella laughed. "Yes. Compared to the multitude of men I've kissed you are definitely the best."

"Multitude?" Edward asked with a quirk in his brow.

"Yeah...there are like...so many I can't even keep count."

Edward laughed and shook his head.

"So...how many girls have you kissed?" Bella asked.

Edward groaned. "Why must you ask these questions?"

"Because I want to know. I need to know my competition, Edward."

Edward sighed. "Five."

"Five!" Bella exclaimed.

"Yep," Edward answered awkwardly.

"Who!"

"Well...there's...Jessica..." Bella nodded. "There's...Lauren..." Bella frowned. "There's this girl Tanya who's a friend of my parents from out of town..." Bella was becoming more and more uncomfortable and she realized just how experienced he was compared to her. "Then there was this girl Jade...or...no...Jane...yeah...Jane...and you."

Bella swallowed nervously and looked down at her feet. Edward wrapped his arms around her tighter and forced her to look at him. "Bella, every single kiss I've ever had, apart from ours last night, has been while I was drunk. The Jessica and Lauren kiss happened at this ridiculous party Mike Newton held last year and I was so wasted. Like...like I don't even remember that happening. The only reason I know it happened was because they remind me of it every chance they get. And Tanya was at this past Thanksgiving thing...I don't even know...it was weird...and Jane was...I was really young and she kissed me and I kissed her back..."

Bella nodded.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you."

Bella shook her head. "No...no...I wanted to know."

Edward nodded and the tension in the room suddenly intensified. Edward decided to make their makeshift bed then so he grabbed the blankets and the pillows and he began arranging them on the floor. They changed into their pyjamas and they settled under the covers.

"So what's going to happen tomorrow?" Bella asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well...at school. We can't like...kiss in front of everyone."

"Yeah," Edward agreed. "Maybe for the time being...we just...keep this between us? You know it's just a couple hours a day when we're at school."

Bella nodded. "Yeah...I think that's for the best."

"Yeah...No one is going to understand this shit anyways. They're going to hold it against us. And if someone sees us at school, then word will get out and the Chief will find out about it within minutes."

Bella nodded. "What about...like...us..." she asked nervously.

"Like...what we are?" he asked.

"Yeah..."

"Well...I don't know...I mean...what do you think?"

"I don't know," she said slowly.

"Well...maybe we should just take this slow. See where it goes or something. I think we do better when we kind of just...go with the flow."

Bella nodded again. "Yeah...yeah...I agree."

"Okay, it's really late. We should go to sleep so we can wake up tomorrow," Edward suggested.

He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss goodnight before they turned onto their sides and fell asleep.

The following day, Edward and Bella walked into school side by side but never touching. They desperately wanted to hold hands and kiss and touch but they knew they couldn't. As badly as it was killing them to hide their new found romance, they knew it was for the best.

"Hey guys," Edward said as they met up with the rest of the gang.

"How was your weekend?" Emmett asked with a wink.

Edward scrunched his eyebrows. "It was good. You?"

Emmett grinned and winked at Rosalie. "It was great."

The friends noticed how far apart Edward and Bella were standing from each other but decided not to say anything. They watched as Edward never grabbed Bella's hand when he used to quite frequently. They saw the shy glances that Bella would give and they saw as Edward whispered in her ear as she would giggle. They thought something was weird but they decided not to say anything.

Edward desperately wanted to lean in and give Bella a soft kiss and because he knew he couldn't, he wanted to all the more so. As he walked her to and from class all morning, he started to become agitated with his need for her. He didn't understand how it had all changed so quickly. He had gone from needing to protect her from harm to needing her lips on his. He considered skipping class, skipping school, anything to be with her alone, away from the student body.

At lunch, he couldn't take it anymore and the friends immediately knew something was different.

"We're gonna go out for a bit," Edward said as he got up.

Bella looked up at him, not understanding where they needed to go.

"Come on, Bella."

Bella slowly got up and grabbed her things.

"Where are you going?" Alice asked.

"We're just going to walk around a little bit. Stretch our legs and stuff."

"Okay..." Alice replied.

"Have fun," Jasper said.

All morning Edward had been forced to walk beside her, never holding her hand or anything. When they were finally alone, he quickly grabbed her hand and brought her to a quiet corner where he knew no one would see them. The second they were there he grabbed her face in both his hands and kissed her. His tongue immediately came out to swipe against her bottom lip and she quickly opened up to allow him access.

His hands were in her hair then on her back then on her hips, always pulling her closer and desperately needing more. Bella was letting out the smallest of moans and Edward couldn't take it anymore. He quickly pushed her up against the wall as he pressed his entire body against hers.

Bella didn't know where this desperation came from but she wasn't complaining. The feel of Edward's body against hers would never get old and although she worried about someone seeing them, she couldn't bring herself to push him away. They continued to kiss as Edward pushed up against her until they finally broke apart for air.

"I don't think I can do this," Edward panted.

"Do what?"

"This...pretend thing. I've been going crazy all morning."

Bella laughed. "Edward, you survived all this time without kissing me. You can go a morning and an afternoon."

"I don't think I can. I was ready to explode during lunch."

Bella laughed again and leaned in to give him a soft kiss on the lips. Edward was still pressed against her but when they heard footsteps coming down the hall, he quickly stepped away from her and they pretended to be engaged in a casual conversation about school.

The bell rang shortly after and they got their things for class. When they got to biology, they had severely separated once again, walking feet apart and acting awkwardly. They sat at their desks and waited for Mr Banner to start the class. When he walked in, he immediately jumped right into the lesson with the explanation of the term paper and presentation that would be due at the end of November.

The project was to be in teams on a topic of their choice that needed to first be approved by him. Students were allowed to choose their own teammates and Edward immediately smirked at the thought of him and Bella being allowed to spend time together to work on a project.

That night, Edward climbed through her window while Bella sat down on her bed.

"So we're doing the biology project together?" Edward asked.

"Nah, I think I'll do it with Mike instead."

"Ha Ha. Very funny."

Bella smiled and Edward started to tickle her. "Okay! Okay! I was joking!"

"Apologize!"

"I'm sorry! Yes we'll do it together! I promise!"

Edward stopped poking her then and sat down beside her. "Good, because you know, whenever I have projects to do, my parents let me invite my partner over, and we work on it in my bedroom." He leaned over to give her a soft kiss on the neck. "With the door closed," he added before placing another kiss on her collarbone.

Bella let out a small sigh of satisfaction. "Who else have you had in your room with the door closed?"

Edward continued to kiss up and down her neck, laying soft, wet kisses. "Hmm...well...there's been...Eric Yorkie...and...Tyler Crowley...and that smelly kid who sits in the back," he said between kisses.

"Did you have fun with them in your room with the door closed?"

"Mmm...Not as much as I'll have with you."

She turned her head toward him then as his lips connected with hers. Their tongues immediately met and he pulled her closer.

"I am not going to get tired of this anytime soon," Bella said.

Edward laughed and they kissed again. "Okay...bed time now," Edward said.

He leaned in again, placing another soft kiss on her neck and Bella didn't ever want him to stop.

"You know I'm never going to be able to sleep now," she said, shyly.

Edward smirked. "Oh no?"

He leaned in and gave her another soft kiss on the lips. She blushed and when he pulled away, she pulled him back for another one.

"Okay, we really need to sleep now," he said with a chuckle.

"Okay," she said, nodding her head and trying to convince herself to go to sleep.

Bella lay down for bed then with a huge grin plastered to her face.

They both lay down and rolled onto their sides, their backs to each other. The silence engulfed them as they willed themselves to go to sleep.

"Just one more?" Bella asked as she sat back up.

Edward laughed. "Bella!"

"Shh...just one more..."

She leaned down over him and took his bottom lip in hers as she smiled against his lips.

"Okay, I'm good. No more now."

"Until tomorrow?" he asked, hopefully.

"Until tomorrow."

Edward leaned up and gave her another soft kiss on the lips as he entwined his fingers in her hair.

She let out a small moan. "Oh! Now I want more!"

Edward smirked and lay back down. "Goodnight, Bella."

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_Bella tossed and turned all night as a sharp pain kept surfacing in her stomach._

_The following morning she was exhausted beyond belief as her head throbbed and she felt sore all over. As a small cramp hit her lower stomach, she groaned and walked toward their makeshift calendar in order to check the date._

_When she saw the date, she did her mental calculation and realized that she was having her period. She briefly remembered the first time it had happened in the basement and how uncomfortable both James and Edward had been. James had to go out and buy her pads and she loved the fact that she was able to make him to do something against his will._

_Throughout the day, her cramps would not go away as she spent the entire day lying down._

"_Are you okay?" Edward asked worriedly._

"_Yeah, I'm fine," she groaned while holding her stomach._

"_You don't look fine..."_

"_It's just that time of the month, Edward."_

"_Is there anything I can do?"_

_She shook her head and Edward let her be even though he really didn't want to. He wanted to make her feel better but he actually had no idea how to do so. When James came down in the afternoon to give them some food, he noticed Bella in a ball on the floor._

"_What's wrong with her?" he asked._

"_It's that time of the month," Edward repeated._

_James' face scrunched up in disgust. "Does it hurt that much?"_

"_It's just cramps," Bella replied. "They'll go away in a couple days."_

"_Do you like...want something for it?"_

_Bella turned to look at him. "Do you have Advil?" she asked reluctantly._

"_Yeah, I'll go get you some."_

"_Umm...yeah...no...I don't think so, buddy," Edward said._

"_Excuse me?"_

"_You're not giving her any medication unless I clearly see both the bottle and the pills."_

_James rolled his eyes and motioned for both of them to follow him. Edward and Bella looked at each other before slowly getting up and following him up the stairs. They didn't ask any questions as they once again walked up to the house that they now knew was surrounded by a brick wall._

"_The pills are in the bathroom," James said._

_They nodded and followed after him. When they got to the bathroom, James went inside and ruffled through the cabinets as Edward and Bella waited outside. Bella stood holding her stomach as Edward took advantage of once again being able to look around the place. Beside the bathroom was another door that was left ajar. He slowly walked toward it and when he pushed it open, he gasped lowly to himself._

_He pushed the door all the way open then and stepped into the room. There was a round carpet on the floor and a small desk pushed in one corner. The four walls were completely covered, from ceiling to floor, in pictures. Edward examined the pictures and finally found the link between each of them._

_Every single picture on the wall contained a red-headed girl. In some she was smiling, in others laughing, sometimes she wasn't even looking at the camera. The photos captured every possible emotion and the wall was littered with her face. She was beautiful and tall with hair like nothing Edward had ever seen before. It looked fake. She looked fake._

"_What are you doing?" James yelled._

"_Who is that?" Edward asked_

"_Why are you in here? I told you not to move!" _

_James was furious as his hands were balled into fists._

"_No you didn't," Edward countered back._

_Edward was no longer afraid because it didn't matter whatever James was about to do to him. He walked into that room and he wanted answers. Bella heard the commotion and as Edward and James fought with each other she wandered into the small study to see what the fuss was about._

_She noticed all the same things Edward had noticed. She saw James with his arms wrapped around this red-headed girl. She saw pictures of her crying, of her smiling. She saw her in dresses, in jeans, in pyjamas. It was as if he had photographed every single second of their time together._

_James noticed Bella in the room and he immediately grabbed her and threw her out. He slammed the door shut as he seethed in front of them. Edward stepped in front of Bella to block James from grabbing her again_

"_Who is she?" Bella whispered, stepping around Edward to look at James._

_James took a long paused in order to calm down. Edward was angry and Bella was scared._

_James took a deep breath before answering. "Victoria," he said. "Her name is Victoria."_

"_She's very pretty," Bella said._

_James gave a short nod as he tried to control his breathing._

"_How do you know her?"_

_After another long pause he answered._

"_She's my wife," he said._

_Bella's heart rate increased but she desperately tried to keep her calm. Edward was dying to ask question after question but he realized James was actually answering her so he decided not to interfere._

"_Where is she now?" Bella asked, nervously._

"_She's dead."_

_Bella gasped. "I'm so sorry. When did she pass?"_

"_A year ago."_

"_How?"_

_James turned to look at her and gave her a menacing stare._

_Suddenly his lips curved up into a smile. "Maybe you can ask your father one day. He'll tell you exactly what happened to her."_

_

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_**Once again thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing and who is adding this story to their favourites and their story alerts!**

**I'm going to go ahead and tell you my schedule next week...I have 2 huge assignments, a ten page paper, a midterm, and a 30 minute presentation...therefore...there won't be a chapter next week...I'M SORRY! **

**But I will be back in two weeks and there may or may not be fun times in Edward's bedroom working on biology projects with the door closed...**

**Btw...thanks to anyone who nominated/voted for this story at the glosp awards!**

**Review for teasers!**


	18. Chapter 17

**Hello! I'm back!**

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.

Thanks goes to my beta **SabLuvsLogan**

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Chapter 17

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Edward paced his bedroom back and forth not being able to relax. His first individual session with Dr Aro had not gone well and now, all he was wondering was what the doctor was telling Bella.

Their week had been going so well as they both found comfort in each other. The kisses they now shared were soothing and it allowed them to forget about so many things. The fact that they had to hide their relationship at school didn't matter to them because it added excitement to their lives. Suddenly it was fun sneaking around. Edward loved stroking her cheek or giving her a smirk while no one was looking.

They loved the fact that nobody knew because it allowed them to have something that was purely theirs – something not every single person in Forks knew about. It was theirs and theirs alone.

And it felt great.

Wednesday night however, their high died down as they had to separate and face the doctor alone for the very first time. They both decided to drive separately so neither would have to wait for the others session to finish. Edward was now counting down the seconds for Bella to return.

As he sat down at his desk, trying to get some homework done, Bella nervously sat all alone on the couch in Dr Aro's office as she waited for him to enter the room. Her legs were shaking, her palms were sweating, and she felt completely uncomfortable.

As she looked around the room, she realized for the first time just how big it was. She didn't know if it was because she was in there alone but it made her feel tiny. The couch seemed larger than usual and the walls looked further apart. It wasn't until Dr Aro entered the room and sat in front of her that she remembered just how small the room really was. She could suddenly feel Dr Aro's proximity and she wanted to move further away from him.

"How are you doing, Bella?" he asked.

"I'm alright," she answered quietly.

Dr Aro knew how nervous she was and since he had just finished with Edward's first individual session, he knew exactly how much neither of them wanted to be there.

"Bella, I know this makes you uncomfortable. But what's important is why. Tell me what you're feeling right now."

Bella slowly looked around the room then back up at him.

"I feel...I don't know...I feel different I guess."

"Different good or different bad?"

"Well...I don't know...I just feel different. I don't really like it here right now."

"What don't you like?"

"Everything. This room...the color of the walls...this couch..."

"You've been here over a dozen times though. Those things never bothered you before. They never made you uncomfortable until today."

"I guess I'm just focussing on everything a little more right now."

Dr Aro gave her a small smile. "When you're with Edward you don't pay attention to the little things, do you?"

"I guess not. I don't know...I guess I never really cared until today."

He nodded at her response. "Do you feel safe right now?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders and looked down at her hands.

"Bella, it's a simple question. You either feel safe or you don't. Do you think I'm going to cause you any harm?"

"No," she replied while shaking her head.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why don't you think I'm going to hurt you?"

Bella slowly looked up at him. "Well...you haven't done anything to make me...afraid of you."

"Which means you trust me, right?"

"I guess..."

Bella trusted Dr Aro more than Edward did but there was still a small part of her that felt reluctant around him.

"What don't you trust?"

Bella took a deep breath before answering. "I don't know. I guess maybe I feel like you're going to tell my dad or Edward's parents anything I tell you."

Dr Aro nodded. "Bella, I don't know if you remember this but the very first time I met you and Edward, I made sure to be especially clear about that aspect. I can promise that I have never, nor do I ever intend to tell your parents anything we discuss in here. I am not only obligated to you, Bella, I am also obligated by law to keep everything discussed here confidential."

She nodded and looked back down at her hands.

"Unless, of course, I think you're going to do something to harm yourself or another person," he added.

She nodded again in understanding.

"Is that all you don't trust?" he asked.

Bella sighed. "I don't know. I mean...to tell you the truth, I don't really fully trust anyone. I don't mind talking to new people but I'm more...guarded...I guess. And there's no specific reason behind it...I just...don't trust people. Not because I think they're going to hurt me or because they're going to...kidnap...me. I just don't feel comfortable talking to people about what I'm feeling. But I've always been like that so maybe it has nothing to do with anything."

Dr Aro nodded and slowly shifted forward. "Can I explain to you how it works, Bella? A traumatic event, that is."

Bella slowly nodded and Dr Aro cleared his throat.

"When your sense of safety and trust is taken away from you, it's perfectly normal for you to feel disconnected. When something is overwhelming, the mind gets thrown into this whirlwind of numbness where you don't know what to feel or what to think. Now, in your case, you were taken against your will and forced to live in some man's basement. Then you were dropped off in Forks, a place completely different from your true home, which is still Phoenix. You were taken away from your mother, from your friends, and you were placed in a completely different high school during your senior year.

"So you've been dragged from one place to another, and I'm trying to understand how you feel about all of this. Because anyone else who would have been taken would not be acting like you are, a mere two months after being rescued."

"You don't get it," Bella whispered. "None of you do. You don't...understand. You weren't there." She paused briefly before continuing. "You mutter the word kidnapping and you place me amongst thousands of other teenage girls that were abducted. But it wasn't like that. I wasn't trapped in a dark well and beaten. I know it doesn't make any sense to you but it doesn't have to. I don't care if you understand it or not."

"But I want to understand, Bella. I want to help you. Explain it to me. Please. Or at least try. I promise you it will feel a lot better when you just speak freely about those events."

"Edward was there! I don't know how many times I have to say it! He was there every second of the day!"

Bella was starting to raise her voice as her frustration was becoming eminent.

"That doesn't explain much, Bella."

"I'm. Not. Broken," she replied, emphasizing each word. "I don't need you to tell me how to cope with my life because I've got it under control. I moved to Forks because I wanted to. And I don't regret that decision. I've made great friends here. Friends that I've grown closer to now, in a mere two months, than anyone back in Phoenix."

Dr Aro nodded. "Bella, what if Edward hadn't been there?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you would have gone through the experience all alone, how do you think you would feel?"

"I think I would be completely different. I think if I had been there alone then these sessions would actually be necessary. I...I don't think I would have lasted as long as I did."

"And why is that?"

Bella paused and looked down at her hands. "That first week...the first...couple days... I was petrified. But just having another person there with me made it okay. It didn't matter that I didn't know his name. It didn't matter that I didn't know his personality. Nothing mattered. I was just...glad he was there." She paused and looked up at the doctor. "It's like when you sleep in a house all alone. Any little noise you hear during the night... you think it's someone trying to break in. But if someone else is in the house with you then those noises don't really matter. Because suddenly it's okay. Because you're not alone." She gave another short pause as she continued to stare at him. "Yes, I was kidnapped. I suffered and it was traumatic but I'm getting over it in my own way."

"And how is that?"

"By moving on! By not talking about it every second of the day. By going to parties and doing regular teenager things. I want to have a normal senior year and do normal senior things. I want to just be a seventeen year old girl without everyone asking me if I'm okay."

"Bella, that's the worst possible way of coping with something. You're putting everything on the back burner but that's not getting over it. You're merely avoiding it."

"That's what I want to do!" she exclaimed.

Dr Aro let out a small sigh. "Tell me something. Has anything ever happened in the last two months that has...I don't know...reminded you of your time in that basement?"

Bella's silence gave Dr Aro his answer.

"Bella, that is what you need to learn to control. Your day to day life is not what I'm worried about. I'm worried about those little things that trigger your negative memories. We need to find those triggers and we need to overcome them. You and Edward can work together on this or you can do it separately but you are not okay until you are really able to function normally on a day to day basis."

"Those things don't happen very often."

"Can you tell me how many you've experienced in the past two months?"

Bella thought back to the gym locker room, to Mike's party, to Port Angeles with Jessica.

"Not that many," she said with a small shrug.

"How did you cope?"

He knew the answer before she gave it.

"Edward came," she replied after a short pause.

"And what did he do?"

"He usually just...I don't know...holds me...tells me everything is going to be okay."

He nodded and paused before his next question. "Have you ever...lost touch with reality?"

She looked at him and swallowed nervously as he sat comfortably in his chair. "Just once," she whispered.

"Can you tell me about it?"

Bella didn't want to at first but decided to give in. "I went out with a girl from school a couple weeks ago. We just went to a movie but I wasn't very comfortable with her because I didn't know her that well. Afterwards she wanted to go to this bar and it was in this really shady spot and we had to go down these stairs..." Bella took a deep breath before continuing. "We got to the bottom of the stairs and we were in this dark alleyway and I just...I don't know...I kept getting flashes of the day I was taken. I don't know how long I was there but the next thing I knew I was being carried away from that alleyway and then I heard Edward's voice but it didn't seem real. That was the first time I didn't respond right away to Edward's comfort. I just...I don't know..."

Dr Aro nodded slowly. "That's very serious, Bella. That shouldn't be taken lightly."

"But it's not always like that," she replied.

He gave her a small smile and slowly leaned forward. "Bella, what I want to do is to ensure that those events don't happen. And if they do, I want to give you pointers as to how to overcome them, on your own. I want you to be able to walk into the darkest of alleyways and feel fear in the normal sense of things. We react differently in the dark and that's normal. But for you it triggers memories. I want those memories not necessarily gone, but I want them under control. You can have that control, Bella. We can work at that, together."

"How?" she whispered.

"There are many different ways. We'll talk a bit more during our next session but the important thing is that you have to be willing to try. You have to cooperate with me or else it won't work. And anytime you step into any dark alley you will remember the most horrible of days. And I don't want to frighten you, Bella, but you may not have experienced the worst of it. You're dealing with demons that attack at the most unexpected of moments. You can't live like that." After a short pause he added, "You also need to take into consideration the fact that Edward may not always be there to comfort you."

Bella left Dr Aro's that night feeling worse than ever. Everything he had said made sense but she didn't want it to be true. She wanted to continue living her life as she was. She wanted to enjoy her new found romance with Edward and she wanted to kiss and cuddle with him without having to worry about overcoming the events of the summer. She didn't want to work on anything with Dr Aro.

She thought back to the events that triggered her negative flashbacks and she tried to delude herself into thinking they weren't all that bad. But she knew she was wrong. She knew they were horrible. She knew how vivid the memories really were and she thanked God it had only happened a handful of times.

When she got home, she was quieter than usual and Charlie noticed.

"Are you alright, kiddo?" he asked as they sat down for dinner.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said with a small smile.

Charlie was never one for conversation but the sadness etched across his daughters features made his heart clench.

"Did your appointment with Dr Aro not go so well?"

Bella shrugged as she played with the food on her plate.

"Bells... I'm not the greatest person to turn to in times of comfort...but...I'm here for you."

Bella slowly looked up at him and realized how serious he was. His cheeks were tinted pink because he didn't even know how to show her comfort but he needed her to know how much he cared.

"Thanks, dad."

He nodded and they continued to eat in silence. When they were finished, they cleaned up and Bella went upstairs to do some homework.

Bella hadn't seen Edward since school ended at two thirty so she was looking forward to him getting there. She wondered what Edward was going to say about his session with Dr Aro. She wondered if he had told him the same thing he had told her – that they needed to fight to overcome something bigger than them.

Charlie's schedule had switched to the early shift at the beginning of the week, so he was now home for supper every night. This also meant that Edward and Bella's sleeping schedule had drastically changed. Edward was no longer able to show up whenever he wanted because Charlie was sometimes still awake. And since he'd been home every night, he'd taken to the habit of checking up on her before going to bed.

Every night was the same thing. Bella would hear the TV shut off, she would hear the footsteps on the stairs, and she would see her bedroom door open as Charlie poked his head in and wished her goodnight. He would then retire for the night and she would listen as his footsteps got further and further away until he was in his bedroom and settling down for the night.

At that point, Bella would call Edward with the cell phone he had given her and he would come over. Normally Charlie was at work so Edward would come a little earlier and Bella would have the opportunity to shower. Now, however, even that had to change. They now had to wake up earlier for school so that Bella could shower in the morning before Edward would go back to his house to get ready for the day.

Charlie was always gone by the time she woke up, and she found herself missing their morning breakfast ritual. She realized they made up for it with dinner but she still missed it.

When Charlie went to sleep that night, he poked his head through her bedroom door, wished her goodnight, and turned in for the night. Soon after, Bella called Edward and he came right over. She anxiously waited on her bed and when she finally saw him at her window, she smiled and let him in.

"Hi," he whispered.

Both were suddenly shy as neither knew what to say. They knew they had to discuss their individual sessions but neither wanted to.

"Hi," Bella murmured back.

Edward decided to make the first move as he slowly leaned in for a quick kiss. She reciprocated the kiss and when he started to walk toward the bed, he took her hand in his and pulled her along with him. He sat down with his back against the bed and Bella placed her head in his lap. He gently ran his fingers through her hair as she sighed in contentment.

They stayed like that for a few minutes until the subject needed to be broached.

"What did you talk about today?" Edward whispered.

Bella was quiet for a moment, unsure if she should tell him.

"If I tell you then you'll tell me?"

"Of course," he replied, smiling down at her.

She took a deep breath and she told him everything they had discussed. Edward nodded and spoke when he had to but he was thoroughly bothered with the notion of Dr Aro constantly telling Bella that he wasn't going to be around. Edward knew he would always be there for Bella and he hated that someone else was telling her he wouldn't be.

"He basically said we're going to start doing specific things that will prevent me from having those...incidents..." Bella said.

Edward nodded slowly. "Did he say what you're going to do?"

"No...The hour was up. He said we would talk about it next time."

Edward nodded again. Bella saw the look of confusion in his eyes and she wanted it gone. She knew what he was thinking because she had been thinking the same thing. Everyone wanted them to heal separately but that just wasn't an option.

Edward was still stroking her hair but he was distant. His eyes were focused on something in front of him, his eyebrows were scrunched, and he seemed sad. Edward feared she would want to heal without him. Even though he knew that was the best option, he didn't want to hear her say it.

Bella slowly sat up to look at him. She took his hand in hers and softly spoke her next words. "Edward...he said I could choose to work on it with or without you..." He met her eyes then and she saw the deep worry within. "I know I should probably do this alone...but...Edward I want to do this with you." She paused before continuing. "Do you remember our very first session with Dr Aro? When we got back to my house you told me that we went through this together so we'll get over it together. I want to follow through with that until the end. Whatever Dr Aro wants me to do... I want to do it together. And we'll get over all of it together."

Edward stared deeply into her eyes as they sat, gazing at each other. She slowly leaned forward then to capture his lips in a soft, sweet kiss. She tried to pour everything she was feeling in that one kiss. She wanted to make sure he wasn't afraid. She wanted him to know she wasn't willing to do anything without him.

When they broke apart she could still see in his eyes just how nervous he'd been over her wanting to do something without him. She realized she needed to convince him further so she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and she kissed him sweetly but with passion. She let her fingers massage his scalp as their tongues met. Even though the kiss was soft, there was a power behind it that told Edward that she was saying more. She wanted so badly for him to realize how serious she was and she was tired of them always being afraid of losing the other.

His hands came up to hold her waist then as he returned the passion. He poured just as much into the kiss and Bella realized what he was doing.

He was saying thank you.

The following day at school was just like the others. They acted the same way they had all week. They never touched, not even a small stroke on the arm, nothing. They stood side by side, sometimes letting go little side smiles that they thought only they could see. They found themselves being even more eager for the day to finish and it was giving a rush to their new relationship. Even though neither knew what it meant, neither cared but they both loved every second of it.

Later that day, Bella was sitting on the bench during gym, hoping she could get away with doing nothing, when Alice came to sit beside her. They sat in silence for a short moment before Alice quickly turned and whisper-yelled at her.

"So are you going to tell me what the hell is going on with you and Edward?"

"What are you talking about?" Bella asked.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Alice replied.

"I really don't, Alice. There's nothing going on between Edward and me."

Alice sighed. "Bella, we know Edward. We've been around him since he was six years old. We've been watching you two together since the first day of school. You guys used to hug and hold hands and now you never touch, you hardly even look at each other now. Except we watch you even when you think no one is looking. We see those blushes and those shy smiles. So what's going on?"

Bella was adamant about keeping their secret between themselves. "Alice, there's nothing going on."

Alice's face turned angry then sad. She looked down at her feet then back up at Bella, sadness etched across her features. "Why don't you trust us?" she whispered.

Bella looked at her and suddenly felt bad. Alice had done so much for her since she moved to Forks and Bella was now lying directly to her face. "We do trust you," Bella said, trying to reassure her.

"Then why are you lying? Something happened at the dance. You guys have been acting so weird these past few days."

"Alice, nothing happened. It's...complicated..."

Bella was looking down at her feet because she was too afraid to look Alice directly in the eye.

"Will you tell me if something happens?"

Bella turned up to look at her and gave her a small smile. "You'll be the first to know."

Alice got up then and joined the rest of their classmates while Bella remained on the bench. It had been less than a week that they were hiding their secret but seeing the look in Alice's eyes, Bella suddenly felt bad. She felt terrible about keeping something so big from her when she knew Alice would be nothing but supportive.

But the feeling of having something purely for themselves was too great at that moment to allow her to change her mind.

That night, when Edward climbed through her window, she decided to talk to him about it.

"Alice wanted to know what's going on between us today," she said as they both sat down on her bed.

"Yeah...Emmett too. Did you tell her?"

"No. We agreed not to tell anyone."

Edward nodded and a short silence fell between them. "Do you...do you still not want to tell anyone?"

Bella looked up at him. "Well...I mean...we don't even really know what this is, you know?" she said slowly.

And it was true. Bella loved spending time with Edward and he loved spending time with her. They missed each other when they were gone but they didn't know if what they had was similar to what Rosalie and Emmett or what Jasper and Alice felt for each other. They definitely liked each other but they didn't know to what extent. It had all happened so quickly the night of the dance. They kissed and the next day they did it again and since it felt so great, neither wanted to stop. But they never took a second to really think about what they were doing.

They sat in silence for a little while trying to think things through until Edward spoke up.

"Bella...I don't know what we're doing either, but it doesn't matter. Ever since last April, nothing has made any sense to me but you...you do. When I'm with you, everything just...makes sense. I'm trying to say that I don't know what this means either. I don't know what me kissing you and you kissing me back...I don't know what it means. But I don't care. I know that it feels right just like it feels right to come over here every night. Just like it feels right to sleep on this hardwood floor instead of that mattress. It just...feels right. I don't have a reasoning behind any of the shit I do...any of the shit we do. Together."

Bella nodded because she knew exactly what he meant. They got back from their kidnapping and instead of wallowing in a cocoon of fear they found comfort in each other. And even though no one understood it, they realized for the first time that neither did they.

Bella didn't know why she needed Edward there every night. She didn't know why they slept on the floor. She just knew that she liked it the way it was. The routine they had fallen into together ever since they got back has managed to keep the reality of the situation at bay and that was okay for her.

It was okay for both of them.

"So we just...keep it a secret?"

"I just don't want our parents knowing. They were very clear the night of your birthday that I am not allowed to touch any part of you."

"Yeah...no parents."

Edward was quiet for a second and decided to tell her his true fears. Because ever since he first kissed her, he thought back to the night of her birthday – the night Charlie found them together on his bed. He knew what Charlie would say to him if he ever found out what they were doing every night. He was worried but he didn't want to be.

"Bella...I...I don't want anyone to think I'm the bad guy in this situation. I don't want anyone thinking I'm taking advantage of you..." he said quietly and nervously.

He couldn't even look at her as he said it because he knew how much of a coward he was. He shouldn't care what anyone thought. He shouldn't care about his parents, about her dad, about the kids at school, about Dr Aro, no one. He shouldn't care what people thought because he knew he wasn't taking advantage of her.

But he did care.

He cared because she meant so much to him that he never wanted her opinion of him to change – ever.

"Edward...Don't think like that," she said as she stroked his cheek.

"But I have to. Your dad said those words Bella and it's all I can think about. I just...you need to promise me you will never throw this back in my face, okay? No matter what happens between us, you just need to promise me that."

Bella continued to stroke his face and she gave him a small smile. "I promise."

Placing his hand on the back of her neck, he quickly pulled her to him as their lips met and they kissed their worries away.

The following day at school, they tried their best to be less obvious about everything. They stood closer together, they laughed and joked with each other, and every once in a while, Edward would grab Bella's hand as they walked to and from class.

He quickly realized however that even though they were now acting normal, it was much more difficult to get through the day. He now knew what it was like to kiss her and simply holding her hand was a difficult task. He found himself wanting more. It had been much easier throughout the week since he never touched her but now that he was, he had to physically restrain himself from doing more.

They had decided to work on their biology project after school, so Edward recommended she go to his house. He had told her it was because the Internet speed was quicker but he knew his parents wouldn't be home and he really wanted to have Bella to himself for an afternoon.

When they got to Edward's, they had a quick snack before heading up to his bedroom. Bella walked in and slowly removed her jacket as she suddenly felt shy. Edward quietly closed the door behind him and they were left, just the two of them, alone in his room.

Half an hour later, Bella was sitting on the floor of Edward's bedroom, legs spread apart, books everywhere, and looking deep in concentration. Edward sat at the desk in his room, pretending to look up biology information on his computer but he couldn't stop staring at her. She was wearing a pair of sweat pants with a loose gray t-shirt but she still looked adorable. Her hair fell around her shoulders and her eyebrows were morphed in confusion as her pencil sat between her teeth and she flipped through pages and pages.

"Get back to work," she said, not taking her eyes off the page she was reading.

Edward laughed. "How do you know I'm not working?"

"You've been staring at me for like five minutes now."

She turned another page and jotted something down in her notebook. Edward smiled and turned back toward the computer. He waited another few minutes before getting up and sitting down beside her, his leg pressed against hers. He slowly placed his left hand on her right thigh as he leaned over and pretended to read whatever she was reading.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked quietly as she could no longer concentrate with his hand on her leg.

"I'm reading."

His hand slowly started to massage her thigh as he let it move up and down her leg. He slowly leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her neck.

"Edward," Bella chastised unconvincingly.

He ignored her as he placed another kiss on her jaw. He kissed up and down her neck softly and slowly and sweetly until she let out the tiniest of moans. He took that as a sign to continue as he moved his left hand from her leg to behind her so he could balance himself. His other hand came to rest on her cheek as he turned her head, forcing her lips to connect with his.

"Edward, we need to work on this," she said between kisses.

Edward didn't care and since she made no move to push him away, he continued. His tongue came out to gently swipe against hers and she opened her mouth to give him better access. As the kiss intensified, his hand moved from her cheek down her arm and to her hip. Her hand came up then as she grabbed fistfuls of his hair. Edward kept pushing himself closer to her but there was too much space between them. Never breaking the kiss, he pushed the books around them aside and gently started to push her backward.

Bella followed his movement as she leaned back and his right hand came to rest on her lower back. He leaned forward until she was fully flat on the ground as he hovered above her. He broke the kiss for a second to look at her beneath him.

"Hi," he whispered with a smile.

Bella blushed and whispered it back. He lowered himself then so their lips could once again connect. As their legs entwined together, Edward held himself up so he wasn't putting too much pressure on her. He broke the kiss momentarily as he continued to kiss her jaw and neck. His tongue came out to swipe against the skin at her collarbone until he kissed his way up to the back of her ear. As he found the spot right behind her lobe that made her let out the sweetest of moans, he smiled in satisfaction.

"You like that?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered as she writhed underneath him.

He continued to kiss and lick up and down her neck until he could feel exactly what the little noises escaping her throat were doing to him. He forced his crotch away from hers so she wouldn't feel his length against her leg. As he kept pushing himself further away, he found her pulling him closer. Her hands were running up and down his back, needing him to be as close as possible to her.

Bella loved the feel of Edward above her and she found herself not caring about the discussion they had had the previous night. It didn't matter that neither understood what was happening between them. All that mattered was how right it felt.

How perfect it felt.

She knew she would never be as comfortable with any other guy hovering above her like Edward currently was. She would never be comfortable walking into someone's home while no one else was there. She would never be comfortable following someone up to their bedroom where they would close the door and she would be trapped.

But with Edward it was okay.

It was okay because she was safe and comfortable. His lips were soft and perfect and they touched all the right spots as she sighed in satisfaction. Both their hands were everywhere as they kissed and got lost in the moment.

Edward's hand was moving from her waist to her hip to down her leg and back up again. He was so captivated by her that he didn't hear the garage door opening and the car pulling in. He was so focused on her that he didn't hear the noise of the keys as they were dropped on the kitchen table. He was so into the moment that he didn't hear the footsteps climbing up the stairs until they were right outside his bedroom door.

The second he heard it he immediately jumped off her and propelled himself into the chair as Bella quickly sat up and grabbed the scattered books.

"Edward?" Esme asked as she slowly opened the door to his bedroom.

"Yeah, mom, I'm here," he replied, trying to act nonchalant.

Esme opened the door wider and noticed Bella was there as well. "Oh...oh hello, Bella."

Bella gave her a small smile as Esme slowly looked between the two of them. Edward was pretending to look something up on the Internet while Bella pretended to be reading her textbook. At first glance everything looked normal as Edward sat at his desk while Bella sat on the floor. But upon further inspection, Esme could see the slight tint in Bella's cheeks. She could see the way her shirt crumpled and she could see the messiness of Edward's hair.

Esme's eyes widened as she continued to look between the two of them.

"Why was the door closed?" she asked, calmly.

"We have a biology project that we need to work on and we just needed to concentrate."

Esme scrunched her eyebrows and stared at him. "Alright," she said slowly. "How long have you been home?"

"We came back right after school," he answered.

Esme looked at the time and realized they had had a whole hour alone in the house.

Alone in his bedroom.

She really didn't think there was anything more to the friendship between her son and Bella but as she looked between the two of them, she suddenly wasn't so sure. She knew Charlie would hate the idea of them being alone in Edward's bedroom with the door closed while no one was home but she didn't really know what to say.

"Are you staying for dinner, Bella?"

Bella couldn't look up at Esme so she kept looking down at her book, pretending to read. "No, thank you for the offer, Esme, but I have to make dinner for my dad."

Esme nodded. She was just as uncomfortable as Bella looked so she decided to leave – rather reluctantly.

"Alright...well...I'll be right downstairs. In the kitchen. If you need me."

"Alright," Edward said.

"Just...I'm just going to...keep the door open," she said as she pushed it all the way open.

"Okay," Edward replied, still staring at his computer.

Esme slowly walked away and descended the stairs toward the kitchen, still feeling slightly unsettled over leaving them alone.

When Edward heard her footsteps at the bottom of the stairs, he let out a huge sigh as he started to laugh.

"Are you...laughing?" Bella asked, shocked.

"That was...hilarious!"

She stared at him. "That was not hilarious! She knew! She totally knew!"

Edward couldn't stop laughing. "Did you see her face? Oh man...I'm so sorry, Bella. I thought I would hear the garage door when she got home but I guess I didn't."

Bella couldn't believe him. "Are you insane? She could have walked in on us! And this time we actually were...doing...stuff."

"Don't worry, Bella. She might have been a little confused but she doesn't know what we were doing."

He got up and sat down beside her again. He leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Your cheeks really do give you away though," he said as he let the back of his fingers caress her face.

"I can't believe you're not more worried. She could tell Charlie. Oh my God, she's going to tell Charlie."

"What's she going to tell Charlie?"

"She's going to tell him we were here alone in your bedroom with the door closed! I'll never be allowed back here!"

Edward turned toward her and took her face between his palms. He leaned forward and placed a sweet kiss on her lips. "Bella, please stop worrying. She doesn't know anything, alright?"

Bella forced herself to calm down as she nodded. After a short silence, she spoke up again.

"What was all that about your parents being okay with you working on projects in your bedroom with the door closed?" she teased.

Edward smiled. "I made it all up."

Bella laughed. "Alright, well I should get home to make Charlie dinner."

She started packing her things and Edward got up. "Alright, you'll call me tonight?"

"As soon as he goes to bed."

"Why don't you start like slipping him something so he goes to bed earlier?"

"You are just full of great ideas today."

He laughed and pulled her in for a hug. "Well, we got absolutely nothing done today, but maybe tomorrow?" he asked with a smirk.

She shook her head, trying to hide the smile forming on her lips but she couldn't. They walked downstairs and Bella said her goodbyes to Esme, still not really being able to look her in the eyes.

**

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**

:::

* * *

_Maybe you can ask your father one day. He'll tell you exactly what happened to her._

_What did it mean?_

_Maybe you can ask your father one day. He'll tell you exactly what happened to her._

_It was all Bella could think about. Morning, noon, and night, the words passed through her mind as she tried to make sense of them._

_But she couldn't._

_And neither could Edward._

_It just didn't make any sense. Who was Victoria? Why would Charlie know exactly what happened to her. Or had James been talking to Edward? Was it Carlisle who knew exactly what happened to her?_

_Maybe you can ask your father one day. He'll tell you exactly what happened to her._

_She tried to make sense of it. _

"_Maybe Charlie arrested her or something," Edward suggested._

"_But why are you here?"_

_If Charlie had arrested her, how did Edward factor into the equation?_

"_I don't know," Edward whispered._

"_Maybe our dads have nothing to do with it and he's just trying to make us think it's about them?"_

"_Maybe..." Edward replied, but he wasn't convinced. "But that's the only link. It's what connects us to each other and to Forks."_

_Bella sighed as she brought her knees up to her chest._

"_This is ridiculous," Edward said, frustrated. "It's..." he turned to look at the calendar "It's July 7__th__, for crying out loud. We've been here for over two months now. I'm going crazy! What does he want? It's because of Victoria – it's because of that chick with the red hair. But she's dead!"_

_Edward was yelling and Bella really wanted him to lower his voice. She really wasn't in the mood to see James and she knew that whenever they raised their voices, he always came down. Edward kept yelling about the basement and the smell and the food and the dirt but James never came down._

_Bella lifted her head and stared at the door, waiting for it to open. But it never did._

"_Shh," she said._

_Edward's face was red with anger but he shut up as she told him to. "What?" he asked frustrated._

_She stared at the door and she waited. When it never opened she paused before yelling at the top of her lungs. Edward covered his ears with his hands and moved away from her. "What are you doing?" he asked, looking at her like she was crazy._

_She looked at the door and once again yelled as loud as she could. The door never opened and James never came down. _

"_Bella? You're scaring me and I'm already petrified so that's saying a lot."_

_She turned away from the door and she looked at him. "Whenever we make any noise at all, he comes down and tells us to be quiet."_

"_Okay..."_

"_You were yelling really loud just now and he never came down. I just yelled at the top of my lungs and he's still not down here."_

_Edward shrugged his shoulders. "So he's not here."_

"_Exactly."_

"_I don't get it."_

"_He always tells us whenever he leaves the house. He leaves food and he tells us to be good."_

_Edward didn't know what to say so he remained quiet and Bella continued._

"_It's been two months, Edward. Every day is the same thing. He's not here and he didn't leave food and he didn't tell us to be good, and he didn't tell us he was leaving."_

_Edward understood what she was saying but he didn't know why she looked so scared._

"_I'm sorry, Bella. I don't see what the big deal is."_

"_The big deal is that he's not telling us when he's leaving anymore. Why isn't he telling us when he's leaving?"_

"_I don't know...maybe he was in a rush."_

"_He didn't tell us yesterday either. In fact..." She walked toward the small cupboard that kept the small amount of food they had. "There's more food in here than usual. There's usually only enough for one meal. And now there's...plenty," she said as she looked over everything in the cupboard._

_Edward was still confused._

_Bella closed the cupboard door and walked up the stairs to the door. She slowly placed her hand on the doorknob and when she turned it in order to push it open, she realized she couldn't. _

_The door was locked._

_The door was never locked and now it was. _

_And there was more food than usual._

_And James didn't say goodbye._

_And he didn't tell them to be good._

_But why?_

_

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_

**The door is locked! There's more food! What does it all mean? So many questions.**

**Your guesses for the last chapter are great, by the way. I love hearing what you think is going on. Some are right...some...not so much :)**

**This ended up taking a little longer than expected so sorry about the wait. I will warn you now though that my weekly updates may be a little slower.**  
**They probably won't be every Wednesday like they used to be. It'll probably be a little more scattered. But there won't be huge breaks between the chapters...so don't worry!**

**Thanks again to everyone who's reading and reviewing.**

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**And as always, review for a teaser!**


	19. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.

As always...thanks goes out to my beta **SabLuvsLogan**

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**Chapter 18**

* * *

Edward watched Bella head home with a smile on his face as he remembered their afternoon together. He hated the fact that Esme had practically walked in on them but he still couldn't fight the smile. He also couldn't help the other parts of his body that were standing at attention, craving Bella in other ways. As he closed the front door, he prepared to head upstairs to relieve himself from all the...tension that had been building throughout the afternoon. When he got to the stairs, his mother's voice floating through the air prevented him from doing what he really wanted to do.

"Not so fast, young man," she said as she walked out of the kitchen.

Edward groaned and turned to look at her. "What?" he asked.

"I don't think so, Edward. You're going to sit down and tell me what is going on."

"What's going on with what?"

"You know exactly what," she said with her hands on her hips.

Esme was an incredibly sweet woman but Edward knew a side of her that he just couldn't fight off. She was fierce and the look in her eyes told Edward that she was not to be messed with.

"I really don't know what you want me to say, mom."

"Why was Bella in your bedroom with the door closed?"

"We were working on a project."

"Why weren't you working on it in the kitchen?"

"Because my computer is in my room."

"You have a laptop."

"The screen is bigger in my bedroom."

"Why was the door closed?"

"We needed to concentrate."

"No one was home, there was no noise."

"It was just less distracting."

Edward was meeting her one hundred percent with every question she asked and Esme was quickly becoming frustrated.

"I'm a mother, Edward. You can't fool me. I know there's more going on between the two of you."

"Mom, I promise you, there is nothing going on between us."

Esme let out a deep sigh. "You're lying to me."

"Why would I lie to you?"

"Because you want to hide your relationship with Bella."

"She's just a friend."

Esme realized that Edward was firm in his choice to not tell her anything. She knew there was something going on but she decided to drop it. Realizing that yelling about the whole situation wasn't going to get them anywhere, she softened her features and approached him slowly.

"Sweetie, you have to know where I'm coming from, right? Any mother who comes home and finds her son in his bedroom with a girl is bound to ask those questions."

Edward sighed and lowered his voice. "I know. but you know us, mom. We just hang out when we're together. And today we really were just working on our biology project."

Esme nodded. "Okay, I believe you."

She lifted her arms to give him a hug and Edward hugged her back. She told him to go finish his homework then and he chuckled as he turned to walk back up the stairs.

"Oh, and Edward?" she asked and he turned around. "I was serious about not wanting you two in your room with the door closed."

He smiled and nodded and headed to his room, his plans of relieving himself long gone.

* * *

Bella and Edward spent the next two weeks in a flurry of happiness. They lost themselves in each other as they explored their new relationship, realizing more and more, as the days went on, how much they cared for the other.

They spent their days at school refraining from touching, and they spent their nights making up for that lost time. They never did anything more than kiss and that was perfectly fine because they were able to wrap their heads around their feelings. Bella and Edward both knew how right it felt to kiss each other but as the weeks went on, it wasn't just about feeling right – it was about simply feeling.

It was about having that one thing that took their minds off everything. When Edward would hover above her and when his hands would drift from her waist to her legs, there wasn't a single thing they were thinking of other than each other.

This made it especially difficult for Edward to keep his hands off Bella during the day. As they sat side by side during biology, he often found himself sneaking his arm under their lab table to lightly stroke his hand against her thigh. Bella would blush and bite her lip and he would grin.

Sometimes when it was really unbearable, he would ask her to follow him to his locker during lunch, knowing no one would be around. As they would enter the empty corridor, he would push her up against the wall and devour her lips in a passionate kiss that always left them wanting more.

Wednesdays always hit them hard as they would separate for their individual sessions, but they would fall asleep in each others arms at night and by Thursday morning they were fine again.

The end of October came sooner than expected and Halloween plans were running through everyone's minds. There was a party being held at Jessica Stanley's house and for obvious reasons, Bella didn't want to go. Over the past weeks, she found herself eying the two girls with hatred, despising the fact that their lips had been where hers had.

Every time either Jessica or Lauren approached Edward, Bella would frown but would desperately try to not let her jealousy show. She badly wanted to grab Edward in front of all the girls at Forks High and kiss him passionately but she knew the consequences of that action would be dire. She therefore kept her mouth shut and endured the flirting, keeping in mind the fact that Edward was kissing her all night long.

The Friday before Halloween, instead of going to Jessica Stanley's, Alice invited everyone over to her house. The six of them gathered in her basement with Halloween candy and ended up spending the night playing board games. In theory, it sounded boring, but the six of them ended up having a lot of fun.

None of them fully dressed up, but each had on a small piece of costume. Emmett showed up wearing a Freddy mask and Rosalie a purple wig. Jasper wore fangs, and Alice wore a witch hat. Bella found an old pair of cat ears so she left her hair down straight with the ears as a headband and Edward glued a fake mustache onto his upper lip. They all looked ridiculous but they were celebrating Halloween the way they wanted to, and they had a blast.

Halfway through the night, they were all sitting in a circle on the floor of Alice's basement, playing a board game. During Edward's turn, the card he picked up allowed him to steal one thousand dollars from a player of his choice. He sat with his hand on his chin, looking between the five friends around him, wondering who he was going to choose.

He turned to Bella and saw the large pile of money in front of her. He looked at her then back at the stack then back at her and a wicked smirk covered his face.

"You wouldn't," she said, trying to act shocked.

"Hmm..." he said, still deciding but the smirk on his face told Bella exactly what he was planning on doing.

He looked to each of his friends and he realized he would have the most fun taking the money from Bella. He looked at her again before eying her large stack of fake bills.

"Bella," he started slowly.

"Edward!" she whined.

"One thousand dollars, please," he continued, ignoring her pleas.

She gasped, placing her hand on her chest. "I can't believe you!"

He simply smirked at her and gave her a wink as she counted out her money and gave it to him. He grinned and added it to his pile, telling Jasper it was his turn. Jasper began to roll and play his turn and Alice got up to refill the chips.

Bella realized that everyone was fairly busy so she stealthily leaned over to whisper in Edward's ear.

"No more kisses for you!"

Edward laughed out loud and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Bella was pretending to act upset but a large smile covered her face. He poked her side and when she giggled he laughed again and leaned over to place a long wet kiss behind her ear. She chuckled and pushed him away but he tightened his grasp around her shoulder, pulling her toward him.

When they realized how quiet the room turned, they both looked up to find the four friends staring at them. Alice was standing, frozen, mouth agape, with a bowl of chips in her hands, Rosalie and Jasper sat staring with knitted eyebrows, and Emmett sat beside them, grinning.

Edward coughed uncomfortably and released his hold on Bella. Everything got incredibly awkward as they both realized what the friends just witnessed. Edward had hidden his want for Bella so well in the past three weeks that he didn't understand why all of a sudden he let his guard down. He assumed it was because they were surrounded by people they trusted but he realized he needed to be much more careful.

"Is there something you want to tell us?" asked Emmett, still smiling.

Edward shook his head no and looked down at his hands and Emmett's smile faded. He looked to Rose and she frowned but Emmett merely shrugged his shoulders, knowing Edward would tell them when he was comfortable. They had known there was something going on between the two of them but they really wanted them to tell them on their own time.

That night, as Edward and Bella settled down for bed, they were both thinking the same thing – they had to tell the friends. Edward hated keeping anything from them so he decided to voice his concerns.

"You know..." he started slowly. "Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to just tell Alice and them."

Bella slowly turned to look at him and he continued.

"They can keep a secret," he assured her. "I mean...I trust those guys more than anyone in the world. If we tell them we don't want anyone to know, then they won't tell anyone."

Bella nodded.

"They know this is a big deal. I told Emm and Jaz about the night of your birthday with your dad so they would understand what we mean when we tell them that absolutely no one can find out."

"I trust them, Edward. Don't worry. You don't have to convince me."

Edward nodded. "Alright, good. So...we tell them?"

"Yeah, we can tell them."

"Alright." After a short pause, Edward turned to her and smirked. "And you know..." he said as he leaned over to place a soft kiss on her neck, "this means we can do whatever we want when we're around them." He placed another kiss on her jaw. "We don't have to hide all the time."

Bella smiled and bit her lip, knowing exactly what he meant.

The following day, Bella called Alice and asked her to come over. Alice found it strange at first but when Bella said she wanted some quality girl time, Alice simply couldn't turn down the offer. As they sat on her bed, Bella blurted out what she desperately wanted to say.

"Edward kissed me."

All morning she had thought through what she was going to say. She pondered over the wording and the enunciation, but when Alice sat on her bed with a smile attached to her lips, it came out short and sweet.

"After the dance...we came back here and he kissed me. And...we haven't really stopped since then..."

Alice jumped and squealed but Bella immediately told her she wasn't allowed to tell anyone at Forks High. She explained their situation and Alice understood. She gave Bella a small smile before telling her how happy she was that they were happy together.

"He's just such a different person around you, Bella. I'm so happy you guys figured everything out," Alice said.

"Well...I mean I don't know how much we really figured out."

"Why?" Alice asked.

"Well, we're not boyfriend and girlfriend or anything like that."

"Why not?"

"Because... it's different for us. We just...we kissed and it was...amazing," Bella smiled as she remembered the night of the dance, "but I think it may be more of a comfort thing. It just feels...right...but... we don't think we have what you and Jasper have."

"What me and Jasper have?"

"Yeah...just like...a real relationship. Two people meeting, falling for each other, and becoming more."

"I don't get it, Bella. That's exactly what happened between you and Edward."

"No...I don't know...It's just...if the situation were different...if we had met under different circumstances...I don't know how it would have played out."

"You think Edward would have ignored you like all the other girls?"

"It's not that...it's just...everything is so complicated between the two of us. I need him by my side, Alice. If he's not around, I feel the pressure, and that's not...love...or anything like that. I don't miss him like you miss Jasper when he leaves, I miss him because I can't...breathe without him. And that's not...normal. So kissing him...no matter how perfect it feels...I just...I don't know what it really means."

"Bella...Did you know Jaz only became my boyfriend this summer? We've known each other since we were babies and only last year did we realize there was something bigger there. When Edward disappeared and the four of us were left...alone...Jasper was my source of comfort. Just like Edward is yours now. You may need him in your life for reasons that I would never even try to comprehend...but don't let that discredit what you feel for him."

Bella pondered that for a second. "So... it's okay to need him in my life but to also enjoy kissing him?"

Alice smiled. "Oh my God, Bella, of course!

"Really?"

"Yeah. That's how it works, Bella. Your situation is more complicated, but that doesn't mean you guys can't find something greater. You were forced together and contrary to what you may think, there's not just need between the two of you. There are genuine feelings there, Bella, I can see it. I've seen Edward around tons of girls, and he sees something more in you."

Bella smiled. "Thanks, Alice."

Alice smiled and gave her a hug. "That's what I'm here for. If ever you're feeling insecure about your relationship with Edward, just give me a call!"

Bella laughed. "I'm glad we decided to tell you the truth. Sorry for keeping this from you guys but it was all so new and it was kind of nice for awhile to have a secret from everyone else."

"I understand. I just hope it wasn't because you felt like you couldn't trust us."

"No, it was nothing like that. We knew we could trust you. We just didn't want to tell anyone. And we still don't. So please don't say anything to anyone."

"Don't worry. And you know it's really not that uncommon. Most teenage girls don't want their dads to know they have a boyfriend."

Bella smiled. "Especially not when their dad is the Chief of Police."

Alice giggled. "So have you gone on a date or something?"

"A date?"

"Yeah. Has he taken you out for dinner or something?"

"Umm...no."

"No? Have you done anything together? Breakfast? Lunch? Movie?"

"No...not really."

"You've been together for like three weeks now, Bella!"

"Alice, relax. I just told you. It's not like that. We just kiss. We haven't established any meaning behind it."

"It doesn't matter! He can kiss you but he can't buy you dinner!" she exclaimed.

Bella laughed. "Alice, calm down."

Alice frantically searched her bag for her cell phone. When she found it she dialed Edward's number and waited for him to answer.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked. "Who are you calling?"

Her question was answered when Alice began yelling into her phone.

"Edward Anthony Cullen, how dare you?...Why haven't you taken Bella out on a proper date?...I don't care...There's no excuse, Edward..."

Alice continued to yell into the phone and Bella could barely make out Edward defending himself on the other line.

"You're taking her out tonight. You'll pick her up at 6:00 sharp and you'll look good. Start planning mister."

With that, Alice hung up the phone with a satisfied grin. "There. All done!"

Bella stared at her but Alice merely smiled back.

"I'm going on a date?" Bella asked.

"Yep."

"With Edward?"

"With Edward," Alice repeated with a grin before getting up and heading toward Bella's closet.

Alice immediately called Rose and told her to join them as they spent the rest of the afternoon preparing Bella for her very first date.

Bella could barely contain her excitement.

* * *

For the first time since they got back from their kidnapping, Edward was actually nervous about seeing Bella. He had never taken a girl out on a formal date and he hoped his plans were good enough. Things were always so easy with Bella and he didn't want the night to go badly.

As he rang her doorbell, he ran his hand through his hair before wiping both his palms on his pants to get rid of the sweat. He took a deep breath and when she opened the door, he gave her a shy smile. She smiled back and they both took a second to really look at the other.

Bella was wearing a pair of skinny jeans with a tight v-neck blue sweater that clashed perfectly against her pale skin. Her hair was in long curls around her shoulders and her brown eyes shone as a layer of mascara coated her eyelashes.

"You look...amazing," Edward said as he took her in.

She blushed and nervously tugged at her shirt. "So do you," she said.

He was wearing a pair of dark jeans with a light gray sweater that clung to his newly shaped body. His regimented gym schedule was toning him perfectly and when he wore tight shirts, his muscles clearly showed. Bella loved it when she could see the outline of his arms and chest through his clothing.

"Are you ready for our date?" he smiled.

She laughed and he stepped forward to give her a kiss. His hand came up as he wrapped his fingers in her hair and as he leaned forward to capture her lips in his, she did the unthinkable as she stepped away from him.

Edward stared at her, wondering what she was doing.

"Alice said we have to do this right."

"Okay..." he said, not understanding what she was getting at.

"So kissing wouldn't be right."

"Umm...I disagree. Let me show you how right that kiss was going to be."

He stepped forward again and she giggled as she stepped back.

"You have to take me out on a date, show me a good time, and then at the end of the night I'll decide if you should kiss me or not."

She grinned and bit her lip, waiting for his response which came in the form of a groan.

"Whyy?" he whined. "I want to kiss you nooowww!"

She laughed again. "I want to kiss you too, Edward. Believe me. That shirt..." she said, pointing to his torso, "What did you think I would want to do when I saw you in that?"

He looked down at himself and smirked, momentarily forgetting what he wanted.

"But...I've never been on a date before...and I...I kinda want it to be perfect," she said shyly.

And how could he deny her that one wish. "Ugh! How can I say no to that?"

She smiled and went in to hug him but he pulled back.

"Oh no...no no I don't think so. It's all or nothing, babe."

"What?" she said with a smile.

"You don't get to hug me or to hold my hand. Nothing. Nada. If you get to touch me I get to kiss you."

"Ugh. Fine," she replied.

She grabbed her coat and they hopped into Edward's car.

"So where are we going?" Bella asked.

"I thought we would go have a nice dinner and then we can go watch a movie," he said, quietly. "I know it's pretty...cliché for a first date but..."

"Edward, stop," she interrupted with a smile. "Where are we going to eat?"

"There's this really nice place in Port Angeles I want to take you to. You're going to love it."

"Port Angeles?" Bella repeated quietly, remembering her night with Jessica.

"Fuck," Edward whispered. "Bella, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot. How could I forget?" he muttered the last part under his breath.

Bella swallowed nervously. "Edward, it's fine."

"No...no we can go somewhere else...I just thought Port Angeles because it's the only place that's close that has decent restaurants but I'll take you somewhere else."

Edward was shaking his head, knowing he already screwed up the perfect night he had planned.

"Edward, it's fine. I just...it just caught me off guard but you can take me to Port Angeles."

Bella had a slight moment of panic as she remembered her night with Jessica but she also knew that everything had been fine until she was dragged down the stairwell. She knew Edward would never bring her somewhere like that so she allowed herself to calm down.

"No...I know this other place...it's fine," Edward said.

Bella turned toward him. "Edward...please...I want to go to Port Angeles. I want to do whatever you have planned, okay? I don't want anything to ruin this night. I'm safe with you, and I know that. So I don't care about Port Angeles. You just said the words and it just took me a second to regroup. But I'm fine now."

Edward looked at her sceptically. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," she said with a smile.

Edward nodded his head. "Alright, Port Angeles it is."

They continued to drive, keeping light conversation throughout, until they arrived to Port Angeles and Edward parked the car in the restaurants parking lot.

He got out and circled the car to open the door for her and she rolled her eyes.

"What?" he asked with a chuckled.

She shook her head and they started walking toward the entrance where he once again opened the door for her.

"This place looks pretty busy," she said as she looked around.

"Yeah...it's all good though, I made reservations."

Bella smiled. "Aw...I can't believe you made reservations. This really is like a real date."

Edward chuckled nervously. "Well, I didn't want you to be cold. We may have had to wait outside or something."

Bella smiled and they walked up to the hostess who immediately greeted them.

"Good evening," she said as she allowed her eyes to rake over Edward's body.

Bella's eyes widened as she stared at the girl.

"Hey, we have reservations under Cullen," Edward answered.

The hostess licked her bottom lip and smiled as she looked down at her papers.

"Yes, right this way please," she said before giving Edward a smile.

Bella looked between the hostess and Edward and couldn't believe the girl. When they got to their table, she deposited the menus and looked at Edward again.

"Is there anything else I can get you?"

Edward kept his eyes on Bella. "No, we're good, thank you."

She smiled and walked back toward the entrance.

Bella rolled her eyes but all was forgotten when she sat down and she saw a single red rose sitting on her plate. She looked at it then back up at Edward.

"That was Alice," he said defensively.

She laughed and picked it up to smell it. "Thanks anyways," she said with a light blush.

They browsed the menu then and their waiter arrived with water. They both ordered a coke to drink as they continued to browse the menu for their meal choice. When the waiter returned with their cokes, they placed their order. As they sat, waiting for their meal, Edward took a small sip of coke before looking up at her.

"So Bella, tell me about yourself."

Bella giggled and shook her head no.

"No seriously. We don't really know anything about each other."

"Edward, I spend a total of like four hours a day away from you."

"Okay, that's not true. And so what? There's a lot you don't know about me."

"Like what?" she countered.

"I don't know. I don't know any of the small details, you know? What's your favorite color?"

"Green," she replied

"Why?"

"Because. What's yours?"

"Brown."

"Brown?" she said making a disgusted face. "No one's favorite color is brown. It's so...ew. Why is your favorite color brown?"

"The same reason why your favorite color is green," he said with a smirk and a wink.

Bella had let green slip from her tongue before she could stop it and when she remembered that green was her favorite color because of his eyes, she blushed.

"Tell me about your life in Phoenix. What were some of your hobbies?"

"Well...I used to read a lot."

"I already knew that."

"Well...I used to read every night before bed. It would help me sleep."

"Why don't you read anymore?"

"I don't have any books."

Edward laughed. "We can get some. Port Angeles has a library."

"I don't like libraries."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't like knowing I have to give something back."

"What? I don't get it."

"There's always a specified date that I know I'm going to have to give the book back. And what happens if I like it? Then I have to go all the way back and renew it and sometimes someone else wants it and then I can't finish or I can't reread it. And sometimes I just like the book so much I want it for myself."

"So you buy it."

"Yeah but it's not the same one. I fell in love with the book I rented from the library. Not the one in the book store."

"You're so strange," he said with a smile. "It's the same thing."

"Not to me it isn't."

"Okay, fine. Port Angeles has a book store. We can go get you some books."

"Yeah?" she said shyly.

He smiled. "Of course."

"Now?" she said, excitement lacing her voice.

"Well, we kind of haven't even gotten our entrees yet..."

"I mean...well...after?"

"Well...it's probably closed now. But we can go tomorrow."

"Okay," she said with a smile. "What were your hobbies?"

Edward thought for a second before answering. "Well, I used to play baseball. I usually joined the school's team. I used to really like it... it was a lot of fun. Umm...what else...oh...um...I kind of used to play the piano."

"Really?"

"Yeah. My parents forced me into lessons when I was a kid. I used to play every night before bed."

"Why don't you play anymore?" she repeated his earlier question.

"I don't know..."he said slowly.

"Were you any good?"

He chuckled lowly. "I was alright."

"Will you...play for me sometime?"

He smiled to himself. "Yeah, sure."

The waiter returned with their meals, leaving the couple quickly to enjoy their dinner.

"So...what was school like back in Phoenix?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "Kind of the same but bigger."

"I've always wanted to know what it's like living in a big town. Somewhere you don't have to drive an hour to get to a decent restaurant. Somewhere not absolutely every single person knows your name."

She laughed. "I prefer it here. Everyone knows each other. It's so comfortable."

"Yeah...I guess. Well what were your friends like?"

"I really didn't have any. I mostly kept to myself. I spent my lunch periods tutoring and after school I went straight home. My mom was my friend."

"You had to have some friends."

"No...not real ones anyway. There were people I spoke to obviously but no one that I really hung out with after school or on weekends."

Edward nodded. They continued to eat while talking about all the little things they previously hadn't known about each other. Edward told her all about his childhood growing up with Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, and Alice. He talked about what they used to do during their summers and Bella told him how lucky he was to have such great friends.

When they were done eating, Edward paid the bill and they headed out of the restaurant toward the movie theater. The theater was only three blocks away so they decided to walk, continuing their light conversation about their past.

"At least let me pay for the movie," Bella whined when Edward pulled out his wallet.

"You wanted a real date, Bella. On a real date, the guy pays."

She huffed in annoyance and crossed her arms. "Can I at least buy the snacks?"

Edward looked at her and she immediately knew the answer in his stare. She sighed again and he laughed. Once he paid for the tickets, they headed into the main part of the theater where they got in line for snacks.

When it was their turn to order, they walked up to the counter and Bella realized it was the same guy who had been there when she had come with Jessica. He smiled that same smile and she reciprocated it. Edward looked between the two of them, frowning, since he didn't understand how they could possibly know each other.

Edward slowly placed his order but he watched as the guy behind the counter kept his eyes on Bella as he poured their drinks and scooped their popcorn.

"Enjoy your movie," he said only to Bella after Edward paid. Bella smiled and whispered thanks before walking away.

"Who was that?" Edward asked immediately.

"What do you mean?"

"He smiled at you like you knew each other."

"No...He was at the concession stand when I came to watch the movie with Jessica. I guess he recognized me."

Edward scrunched his eyebrows but decided to forget about it.

The rules they set for the night proved even harder to respect when they sat down for their movie and the lights went dark. Edward could feel exactly how close Bella was to him and he realized just how much he desperately wanted to lean over and grab her hand.

Halfway through the movie, Edward looked over at her and he just couldn't take it anymore. He needed to touch her. He leaned over then to whisper in her ear.

"How has the date been so far?"

"It's been wonderful," she replied with a smile.

"Have I earned the right to hold your hand?"

She bit her lip and nodded her head yes. He slowly lifted his arm over the console separating them and grabbed her hand in his. Their fingers slowly intertwined together and they both sighed at the feel of the other.

They spent the rest of the movie with smiles on their faces but once again, Edward wanted more. The darkness of the theater made their touch feel almost electric. He desperately wanted to lean over for a kiss but he knew he couldn't so he settled for lightly stroking his thumb against the top of her hand.

At the end of the night, they got into his car and drove back to Bella's where he dropped her off.

"I had a really nice night, Edward," she said shyly.

"Yeah?" he asked.

She nodded with a smile. He opened his door then and circled the car to open hers.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm walking you to the door."

She got out of the car and they walked toward her front door where they stood in front of each other.

"We should do this again sometime," he said with a smile.

"Want my phone number?" she said with a chuckle.

He laughed and took a step closer to her. He lightly placed a piece of hair behind her ear and let his hand slide down her arm until he linked his fingers with hers.

"Bella Swan, I had a lovely evening, you are a lovely lady, and I hope to take you out again sometime soon."

"I'd like that," she said, a small blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Alright, so this is goodnight, then?"

"Goodnight, Edward Cullen."

"Goodnight, Bella."

He smiled and moved to walk away. He started to let his fingers slip away from hers but at the last second she tightened her hold and pulled him toward her.

"You're actually going to leave without giving me a kiss goodbye?"

"I was trying to be a gentleman."

She stared at him and he laughed before stepping closer to her. There was a smoldering look in his eyes and Bella bit her lip in anticipation. He placed one hand on her lower back and softly pulled her toward him. When they were standing mere inches apart, he slowly ducked his head toward hers. She looked up at him and he slowly closed the distance between them, bringing his lips to hers.

The kiss was soft and sweet and exactly like it should have been at the end of a perfect first date. He broke away before it could get too crazy and he wished her goodnight before getting back into his car and driving home.

Bella couldn't keep the smile from her face as she went inside and up to her bedroom. She lay down on her bed and she replayed the entire night over and over in her head, loving every second. She couldn't believe she actually went on a real date with Edward Cullen. She thought about all the girls that would have killed to have experienced the night she did and she smiled in satisfaction.

The kiss at the door had been so perfect but it left her wanting more and she just couldn't wait for Edward to come over. Charlie had already been asleep by the time she got home so she was merely waiting for Edward to drop his car off and head over.

As she waited, she remembered his smile when she opened the front door, she remembered his smirks and his laughs and the way he gently held her hand throughout the movie. It had all been so romantic that by the end of the night, when Edward snuck into her bedroom, neither could handle it anymore.

They attacked each other as their lips and bodies crashed together from all the pent up tension. Edward was instantly aroused as he felt every inch of her body against his. Their tongues were fighting and they kissed and grabbed and touched and felt, always needing more.

"Never. Again." Edward said between kisses.

"What?" Bella asked before kissing him again.

He pulled away for a second. "Don't ever tell me I have to spend an entire night without kissing you."

"Okay," she agreed and they went back on the attack.

Never breaking the kiss, they managed to maneuver themselves onto the floor of her bedroom where Edward settled himself on top of her. He broke the kiss momentarily to kiss and lick up and down her jaw, dipping lightly into the v at her neck but never going too far down. He kissed his way back up until he got to the spot behind her ear where her hips bucked up in response and a moan escaped her lips.

Unlike the day in his bedroom, Edward finally allowed his body to rest against hers. In doing so, his length was pressed against her leg and Bella let out another moan as she shifted against it. She'd never felt anything like what she was feeling as she never wanted him to stop. His lips and kisses felt amazing no matter where they were and since she could feel how hard he was, it gave her a new found ambition to keep going because Edward's body was reacting solely to her.

As he continued to kiss and lick from her earlobe down her neck and back up, she lightly placed her hands on his hips. His shirt had ridden up a little bit and she could feel the skin of his hip as well as the top of his boxers on her fingertips. Her moans were getting louder as she slowly let her fingers slide under his shirt.

Edward stopped his kisses momentarily as he moved from her neck to face her. They stared at each other for a few seconds before he dropped his head and their lips connected once again.

Bella lifted her hips against his and he rubbed his erection against her leg and the action made her hands climb higher under his shirt. She was then able to feel every muscle of his back on her hands. She ran her hands up and down his back lightly at first but as she felt him growing against her leg, she sped her movements until her hands were everywhere under his shirt.

Suddenly she needed it off.

The feel of his smooth skin on her hands made her want to feel him above her without a shirt on. She started to pull at his shirt and as he felt her tugging, he realized what she wanted to do so he lifted himself a little bit to allow her to do so. Once he disconnected from her though he realized that removing clothing was probably not the best idea. Even if it was only his shirt, he felt like they were too caught up in the moment and he wasn't sure if he should let her.

Bella bucked her hips up, needing to feel him since he was too far away and she started to tug his shirt up.

"Bella...Bella wait," he said panting.

"What?" she said, continuing to tug on his sweater.

"I think we should slow down."

"Why?" she asked while lifting herself up and allowing their lips to connect again.

"I don't think removing clothing is the best idea."

"I do," she said running her nails along his spine.

Edward whimpered and pressed himself against her again but quickly shook his head.

"We just had our first date. We need to calm ourselves a little."

Bella pouted but realized he was right.

"I know, I'm so hard to resist," he said with a smirk.

She laughed and pushed him off her. The distance allowed them to clear their heads of the raging hormones and they sat side by side, chuckling and catching their breath.

Bella stood up and walked toward her bed in order to gather the pillows and blankets. When Edward remained sitting on the floor, she cocked an eyebrow and looked down at him.

"Umm...just...give me a second..." he said before looking down at his crotch and adjusting himself.

"Oh," Bella said with a blush. "Sorry."

She bit her lip and Edward laughed. "Please, you really don't have to apologize for...that."

After a few moments he was able to stand up and he helped her set up the bed. Bella fell asleep that night wrapped in Edward's arms feeling warmth, comfort, and perfectly protected.

* * *

**I really hope you liked their first date :)**

**This chapter was meant to be light and fluffy. Edward and Bella were able to enjoy a nice night with each other before some craziness happens in the next couple chapters. **

**Voting is still open for the Avant Garde Awards. The Perfect Space is nominated for Best Love Story.**

**Here's the link (also on my profile) if you want to vote: http:/twilightfb-awards (dot) blogspot (dot) com/p/vote (dot) html**

**As always, review for a teaser!**


	20. Chapter 19

**Welcome to all the new readers! :)**

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.

Thanks as always to the fantastic **SabLuvsLogan**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

* * *

Bella and Edward woke up Sunday morning feeling refreshed and relaxed. As they opened their eyes and allowed the events from the previous night to come rushing back, they smiled and leaned further into each other. They both remembered how wonderful their night had been and they decided to bask in the memories for a little while longer. Edward wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled down at her as she smiled right back up at him.

"I can't believe you slept with a guy right after the first date."

"I know, I'm such a skank," Bella replied as she moved even closer to him.

Edward laughed and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck before placing a soft kiss behind her ear.

The perfection of Saturday night allowed them to carry forward their giddiness throughout the entire day on Sunday. Even when they were forced apart when Bella had her cooking lesson with Esme, they still kept radiant smiles on their faces. Esme noticed immediately and decided to just bask in the fact that her son seemed legitimately happy for the first time in over two months.

Even Monday at school proved to be a great day for the both of them as they woke up early and prepared for school with new found energy. They had no idea where it came from but they decided to enjoy it while it lasted. During first period, Bella could hardly concentrate on the lecture as she simply couldn't stop thinking about Edward and their date. She even found herself looking at the other guys in her class, quickly realizing how lucky she was to be sharing her make out sessions with Edward. Alice obviously noticed Bella's good mood and made her promise to give her all the little details later.

Tuesday passed much like Monday and Bella wondered if she would ever stop feeling the excitement she felt at the simple thought of Edward. She'd been around him for a good six months but she was now feeling something so much more for him and she never wanted it to go away.

On Wednesday, as she sat in Spanish next to Jasper, she quietly doodled on her notebook waiting for class to start. She wondered what they would do on the weekend – if they would have another date, if they would go to the book store in Port Angeles. Her name being called by Mrs. Goff woke her out of her slight daze.

"Isabella, dear, do you mind going to get me more chalk?"

Bella looked up from her desk toward her teacher at the front of room. She realized she was sitting right next to the door which was probably why she was asked so she slowly nodded her head yes.

"Umm...Sure… Where is it exactly?"

"Oh any janitor's closet you find will have a stack," Mrs Goff replied as she straightened some papers on her desk.

Bella got up and slowly walked out the classroom.

She had been attending Forks High for a good two months but she still wasn't completely comfortable walking around the whole building. She knew where her classes were and where the cafeteria and gym were located but that was pretty much all. As she walked down the hallway searching for a janitor's closet, she figured it wouldn't be too difficult to find so she just kept her eyes peeled.

She was sure it would at least be labeled.

The main corridor she was in held mainly classrooms and lockers. She heard the distant noise of teachers giving their lectures and students acting out. Some classes were completely silent while others were loud and noisy. She passed the bathrooms and more lockers, still not coming by a janitor's closet. She turned a corner then with more classrooms and finally found one so she slowly opened the door and stepped inside. She flipped the light on and held the door open as she perused the shelves with her eyes.

The closet was extremely small, with buckets and mops covering the floor, leaving very little room for her to move around in. She saw stacks of broken lunchroom trays, old textbooks, torn sweaters, and dirty cloths. The smell of different chemicals littered her nose as she looked even harder for a box of chalk. She stepped further into the closet then, kicking aside buckets so she could get to the shelf along the back wall. She kept her arm on the door, not wanting it to shut behind her, but since her arms weren't long enough she decided to just let it go.

The door slowly closed shut and she continued to look.

"Where's the chalk?" she muttered impatiently to herself.

The shelves were filled to the brim and dust covered the multitude of items. Bella coughed as she tossed different items aside until she finally found the small square box she was looking for. She exhaled in relief and slid a few more buckets aside in order to step closer to the back wall. Once she was close enough, she grabbed the box, dusted it off with her hand, and turned to let herself out.

She moved the buckets aside, grabbed the handle, and turned it to open the door. The handle seemed stuck at first so she took a small step back and tried again. It took a moment for her to realize what was happening as she turned the handle harder and it simply wouldn't budge. She turned harder and she pushed on the door and as her breathing started to pick up she quickly realized what was happening.

The door was locked and she was trapped inside.

As the realization hit her, she took a deep breath attempting to remain calm but as she pushed on the door and turned the handle with as much force as she could, she quickly lost her reserve. She felt her breathing pick up as her heart beat heavily in her chest. She was taking deep breaths, trying to get air to fill her lungs but she just couldn't as she kept on turning the handle, desperately hoping it would open.

She quickly turned in a circle, trying to see if she could find something to help her out of the closet when she came across an old sign hanging high against the back shelf.

_KEEP DOOR OPEN – DOES NOT UNLOCK FROM THE INSIDE_

She didn't understand how she missed the sign but when she realized she was stuck in the small closet, the small box of chalk she was holding fell to the floor with a bang as each piece broke inside. Whatever breath she was holding was exhaled from her as she sunk to the ground and allowed her fears to take over. As she made contact with the floor, she wrapped her arms around her knees and dug her face into her legs.

The room suddenly changed around her as in her mind she was no longer trapped in the janitor's closet at Forks High School. In her mind she was back in that basement. She was cold and afraid and this time Edward wasn't there to keep her safe - she was all alone.

The smell invaded her senses and the tears fell from her eyes as she imagined everything all over again. She remembered how foreign the basement felt. She remembered how cold it was, and how it smelled. She remembered the feel of the air around her and the fear that surrounded her almost every day.

She attempted to move but she simply couldn't and as she let her arms fall to her sides, she accidentally knocked over a bucket of dirty, soapy water and she cringed as it fell all over her lower body, forcing her sobs to break through.

She remembered walking down the darkened alley in the subway and hearing the footsteps behind her. She remembered the bag being thrown over her head and waking up days later in the basement. She remembered being tied and cut and bruised as she couldn't place the difference between what was real and what wasn't. A small part of her knew she was still in the janitor's closet but she couldn't bring herself to do anything about it.

She thought about yelling but she simply couldn't.

She thought about banging on the door but she didn't have the strength to move from her position.

She rocked herself back and forth as she shook in fear. The water that had spilled on her smelled and it combined with the dust in the room to make her even more uncomfortable than she already was. She winced as memory flash after memory flash were invading her mind and her whimpers were getting louder and louder as she cradled herself.

Back in the classroom, Jasper sat with a questioning look on his face, wondering what was taking Bella so long to go get chalk. He watched Mrs Goff go on and on about their upcoming essay knowing she'd completely forgotten about sending a new student out in the hall to find chalk. He remembered his first year of high school when Coach Peterson asked him to go get the box of t-shirts from one of the closets in the gym. He remembered having no idea where he was going and even as he got into the closet he didn't even know where to start looking. He then remembered a group of seniors walking by the closet as he was reaching high up onto one of the shelves to grab the box. He heard them laughing and coaxing him and he watched with fearful eyes as the bucket he placed hinging the door open was kicked out of its spot. The door was thrown closed with a loud bang and he was…stuck…inside…

That last thought propelled him from his seat as if a huge red light had flashed before his eyes.

"Mr Whitlock, sit down right this second," Mrs Goff said sternly.

He heard her words but he couldn't care less what was going to happen to him as he quickly circled his desk and darted for the classroom door.

He knew exactly what was taking Bella so long.

He heard the hushed whispers of the students in his class but he didn't care as he made his way to the closest closet. As soon as he got there, he listened, expecting Bella to be banging on the door but when he threw it open, it was empty. He momentarily thought he was panicking for nothing but he still had that feeling in the pit of his stomach that urged him to keep looking. Sure Bella could have gotten lost on her way back, but he just had the strongest feeling she was facing the same predicament he faced his first year.

He rounded the corner to the next closet and when he threw it open, there she was. She was huddled in a ball on the floor, a bucket knocked over at her side and her light jeans darkened with dirty water.

"Bella," he whispered.

She didn't look up as she kept on cradling herself, whimpering in fear, so he made a slow move to wipe the hair away from her face to make sure she was okay.

Bella slowly lifted her head but all she caught was the blonde color of his hair and suddenly it wasn't Jasper in front of her, it was James. She shrieked and moved even further away from him, deeper into the closet and further into the puddle of water on the floor.

Jasper could feel the pain etched across her features and he needed to make her feel better. He needed her to stop crying but as he kept creeping closer she whimpered even louder until she was full on wailing for him to get away from her. He looked all around him for help until he knew exactly what he had to do. He couldn't go near her and he couldn't console her but he did know the one person who could.

He immediately slammed a box in the way of the door to keep it open and he took off in the right direction. When he got outside Edward's classroom, he didn't even knock and excuse himself for interrupting the lecture. He merely looked around to find who he was looking for but the second Edward saw Jasper in the doorway, he bolted up. The fear in Jasper's eyes told Edward everything he needed to know and suddenly they were both running in her direction.

"What happened?" Edward yelled worriedly.

"She fucking got locked in one of the janitor closets."

That only made Edward run faster and when he got to the door he threw the box out of the way and he fell to his knees in front of her. He felt the large puddle of water slosh around his knees but he didn't care.

"James," Bella whispered.

Edward didn't understand why she said that name but as a crowd of students started to form outside the closet after hearing all the commotion, Edward got up and whipped the door closed, leaving the two of them in there alone and in silence.

"Bella," he started softly. "Bella, it's me. It's Edward. It's not James."

She continued to sob into her arms and Edward knew he just had to get her to look at him so he gently started to stroke her arms and smooth her hair away from her face.

"Bella, you're at school right now. We're in the closet at Forks High. The door closed and you got locked inside but we can leave now, okay?"

"James is outside," she whispered.

"James is not outside," Edward said softly.

Bella continued to shake so he decided to take a different approach.

"Bella, I want you to look at me," he said sternly.

She didn't budge.

"Bella, you are in the janitor's closet at Forks High. James is not outside this door. He's nowhere near here. He can't ever hurt you again, do you hear me?"

When that didn't work it simply made his heart hurt even more. He had always known how to console her but in that closet it wasn't working. He quickly thought of the next thing he could do.

He banged on the door with three sharp pounds and the door was quickly opened by Jasper who had somehow managed to get all the students to stand aside. Jasper kept the door open with his foot and Edward scooped Bella up into his arms, cradling her to his chest as he walked out of the closet.

Students looked on worriedly as their curiosity got the better of them. Jasper had gone back to their classroom to get Bella's school bag and he brought it out for Edward who gave him a small thankful smile.

Edward gently placed Bella in the passenger side seat of his Volvo, not caring that her soaking wet pants were going to damage the leather. He got into the driver's side and he stepped on the gas as he drove toward her house.

Thankfully Charlie was at work so it was okay for Edward to grab the house key out of her school bag and unlock the front door. He quickly went to get Bella as he picked her up once again and brought her to her bedroom where he closed the door and locked it.

They were alone somewhere familiar and Edward desperately hoped this would help.

But it didn't.

Bella kept on shaking so he sat her down on her desk chair and he fell to his knees in front of her as he wrapped both his arms around her. He soothed her hair down on her back and he rubbed his hands up her arms, desperately needing her to come back to reality.

He didn't know how long he stayed there but he kept on soothing her as he whispered into her ear.

"Everything is okay…You're okay…I'm here…No one is going to hurt you…"

As her breathing slowly began to return to normal, Edward slowly loosened his grip on her but he continued to run his fingers through her hair and down her arms. After a few more strokes, he lifted her face to finally get a look at her. He pushed the hair away from her face and he lifted her chin but what he saw made his heart clench in worry. There was a blank stare in her eyes as the tears subsided and she stared blankly at his chest. Her cheeks were splotched red from crying and her lip bled from where she had been biting it. Her hair was all over the place and Edward fought back the pain at seeing her so broken.

"Bella," he whispered, trying to get her to look at him.

Her eyes connected with him but the blankness was still there. She slowly brought her fingers up to her lip where she felt the blood and Edward brought his hand up to stop her.

"Don't touch it," Edward whispered.

She moved her fingers away from her lip and brought them back down to her lap. Edward continued to stroke her hair and her arms, allowing her to get enveloped by his warmth and smell. He knew she needed something real and familiar and comfortable and he didn't know what else to offer but himself.

When her hands came up again to wipe away her tears, he could tell she was coming down from her hysteria.

"Do you know where you are?" he asked.

"In my bedroom," she answered through a shaky voice.

"Do you know what happened?"

She shook her head no as she bit her lip and looked back down at her lap.

"Stop," he whispered as he pulled her lip away from her teeth and allowed his thumb to run softly along it. "You're bleeding and you're only going to make it worse."

She licked the blood from her lip and looked back up at him.

"You were in the janitor's closet and the door closed on you. They lock from the outside for some stupid reason and they can't be opened from the inside."

"I remember," she said quietly.

Edward took a deep breath and stood up. She looked up at him and he held out his hand for her to take. He laced his fingers through hers and he slowly led her out of her bedroom toward the bathroom where he adjusted the water to get a hot shower going.

"You'll feel better after a shower. You'll get that dirty water off of you."

She nodded and he turned to close his eyes and face the door. Bella began to undress then and she slipped into the shower to wash away the remains of the dirty closet. Edward waited patiently for her to finish but he knew he hadn't done enough. The blank look in her eyes had frightened him beyond belief and he knew she wouldn't be back to normal when her shower was done.

He desperately tried to think of something he could do to get her to forget about what happened but he knew he couldn't. She had been trapped in a tiny little closet and he knew exactly what memories were triggered as a result. He once again realized he couldn't protect her from everything because there would always be dark alleyways and closets bringing the memories right back to life.

When he heard the water turn off he tried to compose himself so he looked strong for her. When she was covered in a towel, he walked her back to her bedroom where he asked her to give him her clothes so he could go wash them. She nodded and handed them to him before closing the door to get changed. Edward walked toward the laundry room across from Charlie's bedroom and he threw her clothes into the machine. He realized his pants were just as soaked so he took them off and threw them in as well. He was standing in his boxers in front of the laundry room when Bella emerged from her bedroom in her pajamas.

Bella allowed her eyes to rake over his body as he stood in a white t-shirt and gray boxers.

"Sorry," he said nervously. "My pants were all wet and really uncomfortable so I threw them in with the load."

She shook her head. "It's fine."

He slowly walked toward her then and gently stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Are you okay?"

She nodded her head but it wasn't as sincere as it could have been.

As they waited for their clothes to dry, Edward led her back to her bedroom where he lay down on her bed. She followed his lead and lay down beside him as he wrapped his arms around her body and she buried her face in his chest. Their legs entwined together and Bella found the peace and comfort she desperately needed.

Edward stroked her hair until she eventually fell asleep in his arms. He looked down at her peaceful face and laid a soft kiss on her forehead. They didn't understand their relationship but as she lay in his arms in her thin pajamas and he lay beside her in only his boxers, he knew that no one would ever be able to change the way he felt about her. She was his in all the right ways and he was the only one who knew how to make her feel safe during the darkest of times.

He looked at her perfect skin, at the length of her eyelashes as they lay against her cheek, at the small gash in her lip and he knew that neither of them were perfect – they were both flawed but they were perfect for each other. They complemented the other exactly the way they needed to and he found himself wondering why he was ever afraid to let his parents know how he felt.

He realized that Chief Swan of all people should be proud that his daughter found someone who cared for her no matter what she went through. He should be proud that she found someone that would never leave her side.

The machine going off woke Bella from her short nap and she stirred beside him but Edward didn't lighten his hold. She looked up into his eyes and he could tell she was slowly coming back to him.

"I fell asleep."

Edward let out a small chuckle. "I noticed," he said with a small smile. "I'm just going to go put our clothes into the dryer, I'll be right back."

She nodded and watched as he stepped out of the room. He returned a minute later and they got right back into their previous position. She let out a small sigh of satisfaction as she felt his warmth once again and she shifted even closer to him. His lips were on her forehead and she closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of Edward.

"Thank you for today," she whispered.

He brought his head down so he could look at her. "I was serious when I said I would always be there for you, Bella."

"I know," she said with a nod.

"Can you…can you tell me what you were thinking? What you experienced?"

Bella took a deep breath and moved her head away from his chest. She brought her hands up as she began to tug nervously on the material of his shirt. She began speaking but she didn't look him in the eyes.

"I was in Spanish and Mrs Goff sent me for chalk, saying it was in the janitor's closet… but I didn't know where the janitor's closet was so I just walked around aimlessly searching for one."

Edward nodded and hated Mrs Goff for sending a new student out to get chalk. She could have asked anybody else and all of this could have easily been avoided.

"I finally found one and I stepped inside and there was stuff everywhere so I moved stuff aside and looked for it. When I found the chalk it was on the top shelf so I let go of the door and it closed behind me and I was fine but it was when I turned back to get out and I couldn't I just…lost it."

Edward didn't say anything as he let her finish.

"I needed that door to open... and when I realized I was locked inside I just…I don't know…I fell to the ground and it's all a big blur. Honestly I just felt trapped…I mean…I was trapped…but I couldn't even bring myself to pound on the door or anything. I just…I felt like I couldn't breathe and everything just reminded me of…the basement.

"When Jasper opened the door, I didn't see Jasper. I saw a tall figure, a man's body, and his blonde hair and it was James. I saw his eyes and his mouth and his hands…I don't know what happened…I don't know why…"

She was shaking again and Edward pulled her close to calm her.

"It's okay," he whispered. "We're away from there now."

When she calmed down again, she looked up at him. "What's going to happen tomorrow? We skipped half a day."

"I'll handle it. Don't worry."

They stayed in bed wrapped up in each other for the rest of the day until it was time for Edward to leave. He slipped his jeans back on and Bella walked him down to the front door.

"You're going to be okay, right?"

She nodded. "Thanks for everything today."

He placed his hands on her face and leaned in to place a soft warm kiss on her lips. "You're welcome."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him. Edward smiled at the gesture and hugged her back.

"You're going to be okay to drive to your appointment tonight?" he asked.

She nodded and they said their goodbyes.

That night, when Dr Aro sat on the couch across from hers, he gave her a soft warm smile.

"You look bothered by something, Bella."

She paused before answering. "Something happened today."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

That simple question gave her the sudden urge to tell him everything. And so she did. She told him not only about what happened mere hours earlier but she told him about her first day at Forks High in the gym locker room. She told him about Mike Newton's bedroom. She talked and talked and Dr Aro listened and she felt a huge weight being lifted off her chest. She didn't know why she all of a sudden felt the need to confide in him.

Maybe it was because she was sick of experiencing flashbacks of the summer. Maybe it was because she wanted to overcome everything. Maybe it was because she needed someone other than Edward to tell her what it all meant.

When she was done talking, she let out a big breath and stared down at her hands.

"How do you feel now? After sharing that?"

"Much better."

"Alright, good. Can I offer you my opinion?"

"It's why I told you."

"Right. Bella, each of those times, each of those experiences, each of those memories, were triggered not because you were trapped, but because you felt trapped."

She squinted her eyes not understanding. "What's the difference?"

"Well, you're trapped in the classroom at school every day. You could leave, sure, but there would be consequences. You know that, the teacher knows that, the other students know that, and everybody settles. You're trapped in this room right now but it's okay, isn't it?"

She nodded slowly.

"If I were to lock that door though," he said as he pointed to her right, "and tell you you absolutely have to stay here until I say it's okay for you to leave, you are trapped, yes, but - "

"But I'll feel trapped," Bella finished.

"Exactly. During your first day at Forks High you didn't want to change in front of all those girls. You felt trapped in that gym locker room so you fled. You listened to your instincts and you ran. Then you desperately wanted to find Edward but you couldn't. You felt trapped within that hallway, you felt trapped from what you really wanted so it triggered a memory. You were able to leave. You were able to walk out the school doors but you literally felt like you couldn't do so.

"At Mr Newton's party he closed the door and stood in front of it. You wanted to leave and he wouldn't let you. You were trapped from what you really wanted so it triggered a memory. You could have stepped around him, you could have hit him, but you didn't. You didn't do anything because you felt trapped within that bedroom.

"When the closet closed on you today, you could have banged on the door and someone would have come to open it for you. You would have gotten out, it would have been easy breezy. But all you wanted was to get out and that door was preventing you from doing so. You were trapped from what you really wanted – "

"So it triggered a memory," Bella finished.

Dr Aro nodded.

"So…how do I stop myself from feeling trapped?"

He took a deep breath and gave her a small smile. "The first thing you do is the opposite of what you are currently doing."

"What's that?"

"Well think, Bella. There have been four significant events in the past two months that led to these negative triggers. Each time, what did you depend on for support? Or rather, who did you depend on?"

"Edward," she whispered.

He nodded.

"You want me to stop hanging out with Edward?"

"No. I want you to stop depending on Edward to fix you."

She swallowed nervously. "How?" she asked, her voice quivering.

"There are a series of techniques that starting next week we will begin to work on. Ever since we started these individual sessions, Bella, you have been opening up greatly to me. This will be worthwhile in the end."

"But how? You can't make my memories disappear."

"No, I can't. But we can work on gaining control of them."

"How?"

"Well, Bella, we're essentially going to trigger negative memories, and we're going to work at responding positively to them."

"What? No…We can't…I…"

"Bella, relax. I'm not going to do this right now. In the end, once I've worked with you enough, then we will do exactly that. Right now, Bella, you are suffering from post-traumatic stress. You may think you're not, but you are. It's different in everyone but the stress you feel in Mike's bedroom, in the dark alleyway in Port Angeles, in the closet…these are all due to your kidnapping. Your negative responses are due to your negative thoughts which are what we need to control.

"And that is why as of right now there will be no more group sessions. You and Edward will no longer be coming together on Sundays. We will be having individual sessions twice a week. You will learn to control these emotions, Bella. If Edward is opposed to it, you need to be firm with him. He does not get to decide how you overcome these events. A couple weeks ago I said you could do it with him but that changes now. Now that you told me what you told me I need to be firm in my decisions. And I could see it in your eyes, Bella. I could see it so clearly how badly you want to put the events of last summer behind you. You can. We can work on it together."

Dr Aro had suddenly given Bella hope. She listened to what he was saying and a part of her hated him for taking Edward away from her but another part desperately wanted to know what he was able to offer her. She left his office that night extremely conflicted. She wanted everything and she knew she would work as hard as she could on doing whatever he said but she worried about breaking the news to Edward.

When he came over that night, she nervously bit her tender lip and he immediately knew something was wrong. When he asked how her appointment had gone, her heart started to pound and she was actually frightened by telling him the truth.

"I did something you may not be happy with," she whispered.

She slowly sat down Indian style on her bed and Edward joined her. He placed his hand in hers and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"What did you do?" he asked sweetly.

"I told Dr Aro."

Edward didn't know what she was talking about. "What did you tell him?"

"Everything," she whispered.

Edward started getting nervous as he immediately thought the worst. He figured she had told him they were dating and he was angry at her doing something so grand without even asking him his opinion.

"What's everything?" he asked slowly, not wanting to jump to conclusions.

"Everything," she repeated. "I told him about the incident with the gym locker room…Mike's party…the alleyway in Port Angeles…well he already knew about that…and the closet today."

Her voice started to shake as she was speaking and Edward let out a sigh of relief as he realized he worried for nothing.

"Bella, it's fine. You're allowed to tell him whatever you want."

A tear slipped from her right eye and Edward watched as it fell down her face to land in her lap. When she spoke up again her voice quivered and she was speaking so quietly Edward had a hard time hearing her.

"He said we're not allowed to have sessions together anymore. He's going to start working on recovery and he…he said we can't do it together."

Edward was silent as he took in what she said but the silence made Bella even more nervous.

"I'm so sorry, Edward, I had no idea that was what he was going to do." The tears were falling from her eyes now. "I told you I wanted to get over it together but he said that I need to learn to not depend on you…and…and…"

She was trying to say so much to explain herself but her tears were overwhelming and she couldn't talk fast enough.

"Bella, Bella, calm down, it's okay."

She took in deep breaths but the tears were still flowing freely down her face.

"I just really needed to tell him, Edward. He asked me what was wrong and I just told him everything and it felt so good and he made me feel really good about his plans."

"Do you regret it?"

She shook her head no.

"Then don't regret it for me," he said as he brushed the tears away from her cheeks. "Bella…I know I was always against the whole Dr Aro thing but…I talked to him today too and…I think he can really help. Everything that's been happening to you…Bella it's been affecting me as well. I can't think straight anymore and I told him that tonight and he's going to work with me too." He paused and took a deep breath. "Maybe…maybe this is one thing we need to do apart."

That last statement floated in the air above both of them and even though it hurt Edward so bad to say those words, they both realized how true they were. They allowed their conversation to settle over them and for the first time since they got back they realized they wouldn't be able to do everything together. They wouldn't be able to heal together because what they really needed was to heal for each other.

The realization hurt but a part of them knew that in the end, it would be worth it.

* * *

**:::**

* * *

_James had been gone for three days when Bella started to freak out again. It had been three days since they'd seen him – since he'd come into the basement, since he'd personally brought them their food. _

_On the fourth morning, she woke up in frenzy, needing to have James there. She didn't understand why he was gone and she didn't understand why Edward didn't care. She wondered what he was up to, if he was even ever coming back. What if they were stuck down there forever? Even if they were to break open the locked basement door, they were surrounded by a brick wall, how were they to escape?_

_Edward somehow managed to calm her down that day but she still slept restlessly that night. She tossed and turned, all the while trying to figure out what was meant by James' disappearance. Edward fought the sleep from his eyes and sat up as he lifted her so her head was resting on his lap. He soothingly stroked her back as he tried to get her to relax._

_He thought about his time spent in the basement with Bella. He realized even though he was staying up all night caring for her, it didn't matter because it gave him something normal to do. _

"_You should sleep, Edward," she said, her voice muffled by sleep._

"_No, I'm alright," he said while he continued to stroke her back._

_Bella felt so much safer whenever Edward would fall asleep beside her. It was rare that they had the luxury because James would often come down first thing in the morning and they knew that if he found them sleeping next to each other he would freak out. _

"_I'm okay, Edward. You need to sleep." She looked up into his tired eyes. "You're exhausted. You won't be able to function tomorrow."_

"_Bella… I don't need sleep. I don't need anything. You…you are my life now…I have nowhere to go tomorrow. Let me take care of you, okay?"_

_Even if she wanted to say something she couldn't as sleep took her over and she was calmed by his soothing touch. Edward looked down at her peaceful face and he remembered what it was like in that basement without her. He remembered how scared he was that one week he was there all alone. _

_As soon as the memory surfaced in his mind, he jolted upright, awaking Bella in the process._

_She quickly sat up with her hand on her throat. "Edward? Is everything alright? Are you okay?"_

_Edward stared down at her with fear in his eyes. "I know where he is," Edward whispered._

_The situation they were facing was all too familiar for Edward._

_James being gone for over a week. _

_James leaving extra food._

_James locking the basement door. _

"_He's getting someone else," Edward muttered._

"_What?" Bella asked as she wiped the sleep from her eyes._

"_He left more food and he's been gone for four days...he's getting someone else."_

"_You think he's…"_

"_He's kidnapping someone else, Bella, I just know it."_

_It took a second for Bella to understand what he was saying but when it all registered she looked up at him, the same fear in her eyes._

"_When he left to get you he put a whole bunch of food in that same cupboard. I was stuck down here for a week and a half just waiting for him to come back. What else could he be doing?"_

_Bella's mind was racing but she couldn't wrap her head around what it all meant. As she tried to make sense of everything she watched as Edward quickly turned around and started rummaging through the boxes._

"_What are you doing?" she asked as she stood up._

_Edward was throwing boxes aside until he finally stood up holding a large piece of wood in his hands. There was a certain fury in his eyes that made Bella step out of his way when he walked by._

"_Edward, what are you doing?" she repeated._

_He walked up the stairs until he was facing the door. He looked back down at her with that same look in his eyes._

"_I'm learning from my mistakes, Bella."_

_She didn't understand what he meant until he took a large swing at the handle with the piece of wood._

"_Edward!" she cried out._

_He took another swing and turned back to face her._

"_I'm not waiting for him to come back, Bella. Not this time."_

_She didn't know what to do as he kept on slamming the piece of wood against the handle._

"_Edward, stop, you're not thinking straight!"_

_He took another swing._

"_Bella, I've never been more sure of anything!" He turned back to look at her. "Why are we sitting here like idiots? I'm not afraid of him anymore, Bella. He's gone. He's been gone for four days so what are we doing? Let's get out of here while we still can."_

_Bella understood what he meant and his words were enough to convince her. She took a deep breath and turned toward the boxes to find another piece of wood to help him. When she found one, she climbed the stairs and decided to help him out. They didn't know how long they were there but the thought of escape was the only thing keeping them going. They alternated between hits and even though Bella's weren't as damaging as Edward's, they were still helping._

_They hacked away at the handle and at the door until their hands were bloodied and extremely sore but neither stopped. When the door began to rattle, Edward took a deep breath and poured his entire body into one solid hit. The second the piece of wood connected with the handle, it flew off and the door swung open._

_They both stood in shock for a second before jumping into action._

"_There's got to be a way out of here," Edward called out as he started to search the kitchen._

_They split up and checked every room in the house to see if there was a way out. James came in and out every day so there had to be something they were missing and they promised themselves they wouldn't stop until they found it._

_Bella wandered around until she found herself walking into the same living room James had brought her to when they went to take pictures with Laurent. The coffee table and painting were in the same spot but the couch, instead of being pushed against the wall, was at a diagonal in the room. She looked around it realizing how strange it was._

_And then she saw it._

_Behind the couch, against the wall, was the smallest of doors, large enough for the size of one person to get through – more specifically, one man to get through. Before approaching it she called out to Edward and when he joined her, they merely stared at it._

"_That has to be it," Edward whispered._

_He looked at her and suddenly large smiles broke out on both their faces._

"_We're getting out of here?" Bella asked._

"_We're getting out of here."_

_They were both prepared to throw themselves through the door but they realized they had no idea what awaited them on the other side so before doing so, they decided to quickly grab a few provisions. Bella filled some bottles with water and Edward grabbed an old bag he found and stuffed it with food. When they were ready, they ran back upstairs and back toward the living room, prepared to finally put the dreadfulness of the basement behind them._

_When they got there however, they were stopped dead in their tracks as they heard rather than saw their worst nightmare unfolding. They heard distinct noises coming from the room and when they slowly approached it, they watched as the small door swung open and their eyes locked with gray ones._

_James was coming through the door but this time his mask wasn't secured over his features and Bella cowered back in fear. James lifted himself off the ground, wiped at his pants, and the second he saw them standing there he knew exactly what they were planning on doing._

"_Going somewhere?" he asked._

_Maybe it was the wicked grin James was sporting. Maybe it was the yellowing of his teeth. Maybe it was the way his eyes gleamed in the light of the room. Or maybe it was just months of pent up anger. But nevertheless, the bag Edward had been holding fell to his feet before he charged at James with full force. He had had enough and James was standing in the way of his rescue. Edward could taste the outside air. He could feel the sun beating down on him. _

_He was getting out of there and he wasn't going to take no for an answer._

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**Thanks again to everyone who's reading and reviewing and adding this story to their alerts and favourites! **

**The updates have been a little slower now just because I'm in finals so bear with me.**

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	21. Chapter 19 Outtake

**I hope everyone had amazing holidays! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!**

**This is just a little outtake from the last chapter. It's Edward's session with Dr Aro where he decides to open up a little bit. We've had a lot of Bella and Dr Aro so now you get to see a little bit of what Edward's been going through.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.

Thanks as always to **SabLuvsLogan**

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**Chapter 19 – Outtake**

**Edward's Session With Dr Aro**

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"You seem conflicted, Edward. What's bothering you?"

Edward sat in Dr Aro's office feeling the need to tell him about his day. He needed to tell him about Bella because the pain and the worry were eating away at him. He couldn't handle it anymore. He needed to know how to be there for her and for the first time since he'd met Dr Aro, Edward finally felt the need to share.

"It's Bella," he said softly.

"Alright, what about her?"

"I'm worried."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Dr Aro asked simply.

That question suddenly gave Edward the freedom he needed to discuss his worries. He needed Bella to be better and he needed to stop feeling so helpless when it came to helping her. He wanted to tell Dr Aro everything but he knew it wasn't his place. He couldn't tell him about the incidents because he knew Bella would tell him when she felt comfortable. He decided to try and say as much as he could without revealing too much information.

"Well," Edward started slowly, "we've both been going through a lot, which is expected, but lately…well…little things keep happening and…"

He took a deep breath not knowing how to finish his thought.

"You want those things to stop happening?" Dr Aro suggested.

"I want to know how to…how to help her."

"How to help Bella?"

Edward nodded. Dr Aro could see the worry in Edward's eyes and he knew how badly he wanted to help Bella. Week after week, Edward focused solely on her. He never talked about himself and how he was coping and dealing with the aftermath of the kidnapping. He always brought up Bella and her feelings and his need to protect her.

"Edward, I've told you this before, and I'll repeat it again. You are way too focused on Bella. What about you, Edward? You need to help yourself. You need to _worry_ about yourself."

Edward shook his head. "I know how to handle myself." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Bella sometimes gets these… memory flashes… and I just need to know how to help her when that happens. It kills me to know there's nothing I can do. She goes into these panicked states and all I want to do is to make it better for her."

"Can you tell me what you feel when something happens to her and you don't know how to help?"

"I feel…like I'm failing her or something. I feel like that's when she needs me most and I just don't know what to do or what to say to just make her… forget…to just make her realize that we're not still in that basement, that James is nowhere near us." He paused for a moment. "I need her to be okay. I need her to move on and live a normal life and grow up and be happy and just forget about everything that happened during those months."

"You know that's not possible right, Edward?"

"Why not?"

"We can't train ourselves to forget. You know that. The more you try, the more you'll remember. I've told you this before, Edward and I've said it to Bella as well. What I want is for you to have control. Bella can do all those things you said. She can grow up and live the most normal and happy of lives but she needs to control her memories and you need to control your need to protect her."

"I can't," he answered softly. "I won't ever stop needing that."

"It's not about stopping, Edward. Believe me, we're all glad she has someone like you watching over her. Her father may seem iffy about you two spending time together but he is extremely grateful that you are by her side all day at school."

"Not enough," Edward mumbled under his breath.

"Why do you say that?"

"It's whenever I leave her side that these things happen."

Dr Aro gave him a small smile. "So you've come to the conclusion that you can as a result never leave her side?"

"Well…yeah. I mean, what am I supposed to think? It always happens when I'm not there. Every time I leave her side, I'm afraid. I'm afraid that the next time I see her she won't be in the exact same condition I left her in. I'm afraid she's going to meet someone she'll trust who'll just be bad news. I'm always afraid and it's always for her."

"Edward, Bella can take care of herself though, why do you doubt that?"

"Because she can't. She's too trusting and she's too sweet and nice. She doesn't know how to tell people to fuck off."

"That's a lack of trust. You're acting more like an overprotective father than a friend."

"I'm not trying to act like her friend or her father."

"How are you trying to act?"

"I don't know…I don't see her as a friend. I'm not protective of her in the same way I'm protective of my other friends. If someone were to touch Rose and Alice, I would be pissed. If someone were to touch Bella though, there would be no controlling me. We're past the friendship point. There's need there. I need her to be safe and I don't trust anyone other than myself to ensure that safety."

"But does she want you to be like that?"

Edward was taken aback by his question. "Well...I…I don't know. I guess I've never asked. I'm just making sure she won't get hurt. How could she be against that?"

"Well I don't know but you need to find out how she feels about it. You don't realize what you're doing, Edward. You have this need to ensure her safety, which is fine, but you're making her incapable of doing anything on her own. You're putting her in the worst situation of all. She's dependent on you. And I know you're alright with that but I'm not, her parents aren't, and your parents aren't either. All you want is the best for her, right?"

Edward nodded. "Of course."

"The best for her is to lose that dependence."

Edward's face fell. "The best for her is to stay away from me?"

Dr Aro shook his head. "No, Edward. You're always jumping to the worst conclusion. You and Bella always assume that we're trying to separate you when we're not. My ultimate goal is to allow the two of you to move on from the events of the summer. That's all. I have no ulterior motive. The sooner you believe that, the sooner we can begin the recovery process."

"So you want me to recover while still hanging out with Bella?"

"Yes, Edward. I don't want you to stay away from her. I've never wanted that. Bella, right now, needs you. She can't go one day without seeing you and you can't go one day without seeing her. But the problem is there is too much similarity between what you feel when you're apart. You are both worrying for her. Bella never feels fully comfortable when you're not there and you're constantly worrying about safety."

"But what's wrong with that?"

"The problem is that the only way you can focus on Bella is to first be able to focus on yourself."

"I don't understand."

"Edward, you want the best for Bella, right?"

"Yes."

Dr Aro took a deep breath. "The best thing for Bella is to heal. Edward she needs to overcome the kidnapping on her own. You cannot do it together. You always want to ensure her safety because you don't trust her judgment. You don't trust her judgment because you think she's vulnerable. We need to remove that vulnerability. We need to make her comfortable with herself again and we need to build back up her confidence."

"How?"

"She needs to stop depending on you. We will start slowly but by the end of it she will _want_ you instead of _need_ you. When she's afraid, she'll call you because she'll know that you can soothe her worries. You'll feel wanted, Edward, and I promise you, it will be the best of feelings. You won't have to worry about saying the right words or doing the right thing because you'll know that it's your mere presence that she wants."

Edward didn't know what to say.

"You can't help Bella without first helping yourself," Dr Aro finished.

There was a pause, as Edward remained silent.

"Do you at least understand what I mean when I say you're too focused on Bella?"

Edward nodded. Everything Dr Aro said made him realize how difficult it was, day by day, dealing with his worries.

"Sometimes…it's like…she's always on my mind, you know? So sometimes it's difficult for me to concentrate on anything. After today's incident, I just couldn't get my mind to stop running. I just kept thinking the worst possible thing. I kept thinking that this is just the beginning. The little incidents that have happened here and there, they're all just the calm before the storm…like…they're nothing compared to what could actually happen."

"What do you think could actually happen?"

"I don't know…something worse. Today was the worst I've ever seen her because she lost touch with reality. But she eventually came out of it. I just keep imagining her not coming out of it, you know? Like staying in this perpetual state of confusion where she doesn't know what's real and what isn't and there's nothing I can do to help her. And that's what I'm most afraid of. That's what I want you to help me with, because when it comes down to it, she doesn't rely on you or her parents or my parents, she relies on me. I need to know how to make her feel safe when those things happen and…when I can't…it's…it's just…too much."

Edward's voice started to quiver and Dr Aro saw just how much this situation was weighing Edward down.

Everything Edward was saying was true, but he could never tell Bella. He could never tell her how difficult it was for him because she would try and make things better. She would pretend to not need him when she really did and that was definitely not what Edward wanted.

"So you agree she's too dependent? You agree you need to heal alone?"

Edward took a deep breath. Before the incident in the closet, he loved the fact that Bella needed him. He loved that she wanted him to help her over anyone else. But seeing the blank stare in her eyes earlier in the afternoon made him realize that it wasn't a game anymore.

It wasn't about being the one she chose.

It wasn't about beating all the other guys.

It was about her safety.

It was about healing.

"Yes," Edward whispered. "I agree we both need to heal alone."

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**So like I said...this was just a little something to help you learn a little more about Edward.**

**Your teasers should be sent out soon and the next chapter will hopefully be up shortly!**


	22. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.

Thanks as always to the fantastic **SabLuvsLogan**

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**Chapter 20**

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The following morning, both Edward and Bella felt much better. After having the night to talk about their worries, they eventually were able to rest and get a good night sleep. They made promises to never abandon the other throughout the recovery process, and as a result, they were able to wake up feeling refreshed and hopeful. Instead of dwelling on the fact that they would no longer be having sessions together, they decided to embrace what Dr Aro could do for them. They would let him help them the way he wanted to and they would be supportive of each other along the way.

When they pulled into the parking lot at school, Edward parked his Volvo next to Emmett's jeep and Bella saw Jasper standing with his arm around Alice's shoulder. She knew she had to apologize to him for the way she reacted. She felt the need to explain her side of the story because she didn't want him to be nervous around her.

When Edward put the car in park, she unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out slowly. She kept her eye on the ground trying to decide exactly what she would say to Jasper, but after a short moment she decided to just approach him.

"Hey Jasper," she said quietly as she walked toward where they were all standing.

He gave her a small smile but Bella could easily see how nervous he was.

"Can I um…talk to you for a second?"

He removed his arm from Alice's shoulder and nodded as they both walked to a secluded area where no one could hear them. They lingered awkwardly for a moment before Bella spoke up.

"I'm really sorry about yesterday," she said quickly.

Jasper shook his head, not wanting her to feel bad about anything that happened. "Bella…don't be," he answered.

"No…I'm really sorry. I feel terrible about everything…about the way I…reacted…and you were coming to help me and I'm just…really sorry."

"Bella, honestly, don't worry about it. I get it, alright?"

She bit her lip because she still didn't feel better. "I just don't want things to be weird between us, you know? I don't know how to explain what happened yesterday but I don't want you to think I don't trust you or anything like that."

"I don't think that."

She nodded. After a short pause, she looked up at him again. "It was thanks to you I even got out of there when I did so… I mean… I also need to thank you."

He smiled at her. "No problem, Bella. I've been locked in one of those closets before and I remember it not being a very pleasant experience."

She nodded and gave him a small smile. "So…we're good?"

"Yeah, we're good," he said with a smile.

"Thanks for being so…understanding. I don't know if everyone would be this cool about everything."

"I don't want you to worry about this, okay? I'm glad I could help and I know for next time what I have to do. It was a learning experience for all of us."

Bella nodded again. "Well…thanks for everything."

"Not a problem."

They gave each other a quick apologetic hug before returning back to their friends. Bella felt so much better after having gotten her apology off her chest and she was grateful Jasper had been so reasonable about everything. She didn't want things to be weird or awkward between the two of them and she was pleased at the way she approached the situation.

When the first bell rang, everyone groaned simultaneously and gathered their belongings so they could start heading to class. Edward and Bella on the other hand had to explain why they left school before lunch the previous day so instead of heading to homeroom, they headed toward the secretary's office.

Edward attempted to give an excuse that would adequately explain why they had left school early but Mrs Cope simply wouldn't believe him. He pleaded with her and tried to work his magic but apparently she wasn't in her usual mood. She wouldn't give them a break and they were as a result forced to attend detention during lunch.

"Ugh, usually the very sight of me is enough to let me get away with anything. She sees me and she gives me whatever I want," Edward said as they left the office.

"Oh no, you're losing your charm, Edward," Bella said with a smile.

"Pff…as if."

"What will you do now?" Bella asked jokingly.

"Meh…it still works on you so I'm not at a complete loss."

He shot her a crooked smile and she rolled her eyes before they headed toward their respective classrooms.

When lunchtime came, instead of following all the other students toward the cafeteria, Edward and Bella made their way toward the detention room. When they opened the door, they stepped into the class and noticed that Jasper was also present.

"What are you doing here?" Edward asked.

"Mrs Goff was pissed I walked out of her class yesterday without her permission."

Bella immediately felt bad. She knew that if it weren't for her, he could have been with friends enjoying his lunch hour, but instead he was sitting in detention. Jasper shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal and Bella decided to let it go. She took a seat next to Edward near the back of the room and they started eating their lunch.

The teacher that was supposed to be supervising hadn't arrived yet so everyone just sat down and remained relatively quiet. There were only about ten kids in the class, most of them being juniors, and most of them not really knowing anyone else in the room. Each student was either eating their lunch or playing on their cell phones.

Bella wanted to take advantage of her time in the room so she decided to get a head start on her homework. She pulled out her textbooks and got to work while Edward placed his head on his desk since all he wanted to do was relax for the hour.

Roughly ten minutes passed before the supervisor walked in and settled himself at the desk at the front of the room. Edward was half asleep and Bella had her head in her books so neither looked up to greet the teacher. Even as he started taking attendance, neither looked up. It only took a minute for him to call out the few names that appeared on his list but when he got to the bottom, he paused before saying the last two names.

"Isabella Swan?" he called out slowly.

"Present," she answered while raising her hand.

Bella looked up and found a familiar pair of brown eyes staring back at her. She recognized him immediately and gave him a small wave as a grin spread across his face.

"Remember me?" he asked with a wink.

She blushed and nodded.

He smiled and continued down his list. "Edward Cullen?"

"Here," Edward replied between clenched teeth as he stared at the supervisor at the front of the room.

Edward didn't understand how or why he was in the classroom, all he knew was that he hated the way he was currently looking at Bella. And he hated it even more when he placed the class list down on the desk up front and walked over toward Bella to sit down at the desk beside hers.

"Hey, Bella. Long time no see."

"Jimmy, right?" Bella asked as she turned toward him.

He nodded and was glad she remembered him. He looked exactly like he had the day she'd met him outside the dressing room of the gym. The only difference was instead of being in workout clothes, he was wearing a pair of jeans and a black long sleeved shirt.

"I'm glad you remember me. How's it going?"

"Pretty good," she said shyly. "You?"

Edward was paying extremely close attention to their conversation because he saw the way Jimmy had been staring at her and unlike the last time he had seen her, Bella was no longer in the same situation she was in over a month ago. She was now his. He found himself regretting the fact that they never made things official between the two of them because she could hang out with Jimmy if she wanted to. Edward technically wouldn't be able to be angry or jealous because it's not like Bella was his official girlfriend.

"Good. I haven't seen you around the gym."

"Yeah…I don't go that often. Edward is always there though so you probably see him."

Jimmy looked over her shoulder to find Edward glaring at him.

"Huh, I guess I never noticed," he said as he turned back to Bella.

"What are you doing at Forks High?" she asked.

"I'm subbing. I'm pretty much never here but they called this morning cause one of the gym teachers called in sick so I've been playing dodge ball with kids all day."

Bella smiled. "That sounds fun, I guess. How did you get stuck supervising detention?"

"They just give me the shitiest jobs. It pays pretty well though and I don't have to do all that much so I don't really mind."

"Well that's good."

"Yeah…so how did you and your… friend… get detention?" he asked, emphasizing the word 'friend'.

Edward was practically fuming, as he wanted to punch Jimmy in the face for calling him her friend. He would have given anything in that second to grab Bella and kiss her as passionately as he could in front of him to set him straight.

Bella noticed the emphasis Jimmy had placed on the word and she felt terrible because she knew Edward could hear the implication of their relationship status or lack thereof. She remembered how he had reacted the last time he caught her talking to Jimmy and they hadn't even been…kissing…then. She didn't want Edward to think she was flirting with him so she started to back down a little.

"We umm…we skipped class yesterday and got caught."

Jimmy laughed. "Noobs. I used to skip all the time and I never got detention for it."

Edward knew Jimmy was taunting him but he hated that it was working. He also hated Mrs Cope even more in that instant because it was all her fault that they were sitting in that room.

Edward continued to stare at Jimmy as he carried on a conversation with Bella, all the while wanting to grab her and move her to the other side of the room. He wanted to yell and force her to talk to him instead of Jimmy but he knew he couldn't so he just sat and listened until Jimmy finally got up and headed back to the front of the room.

When the lunch hour was up, the students cleared out and Edward waited for Bella as she gathered her things. When everyone was out of the room, Jimmy approached her once again.

"Hey, Bella? Can I talk to you for a sec.?"

"Umm…yeah, sure."

Edward refused to leave her side but when Jimmy emphasized that he wanted to talk to her alone, Edward reluctantly stepped out of the room but he kept his ear near the door so he could overhear their conversation.

"I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go out sometime?" Jimmy asked her.

Edward felt his heart sink. He knew she wouldn't say yes but the thought of her with him made his stomach turn.

"Oh…like…a date?"

"You can call it whatever you want but yeah, a date. I like you, Bella, I'd like to take you out somewhere nice."

Bella could feel herself blush. "I'm sorry, Jimmy. You're a really nice guy but I have to say no."

"Why?"

Bella didn't know what to say but she suddenly felt bad for giving him the wrong impression. She also felt bad about Edward who she knew was standing right outside the room and could probably hear Jimmy asking her out.

"I kind of already like somebody and I'm not really in the best of places to be dating right now."

"I thought Edward was just a friend."

"He is," she reassured.

Even though Jimmy was hardly at Forks High and she was relatively sure he never spoke to her father or Edward's parents, she knew it wasn't alright to tell him she had something going on with Edward.

"Alright, well…I had to ask, right?" he said with a smile.

She smiled back at him. "Yeah…thanks though…I'm…flattered."

He smiled. "I'll see you around, Bella."

Jimmy stepped out of the room and Edward gave him a smirk because even though Bella didn't admit to anything, it was pretty obvious. Bella stepped out of the room and joined Edward.

"Sorry about that, Edward…I didn't think…"

She tried to finish her sentence but Edward caught her words in his mouth as he devoured her lips in a kiss. He knew there was no one around so he placed his hands on either side of her face and he kissed her as passionately as he could to prove to her that he was hers. When they broke apart, Bella was disoriented but she smiled and blushed and loved the way every single one of Edward's kisses made her feel.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"I just wanted to kiss you and I didn't want to wait until after school."

She smiled and they headed to their next class but Edward quickly looked back and saw Jimmy staring at them. Edward knew he was jealous and he smiled in victory as he placed his hand on Bella's neck and ran his fingers through her hair.

The weekend came quickly but Edward and Bella were too busy with projects and papers to do anything exciting. The next two weeks passed by uneventfully as they both started to feel the pressures of the semester weighing them down. Everything started to pick up so more and more homework and projects were being handed out, forcing both Edward and Bella to focus solely on school. They were seeing less and less of each other as they spent their lunch hours in the library and their nights working on homework.

Charlie also started going to bed later and later every night, forcing Edward to stay at home until almost midnight. They were both so exhausted from their long days that by the time Edward got to her bedroom they fell asleep almost immediately. There were no more late night make out sessions since they were too tired to do anything so it was usually just a quick peck on the lips before they settled down for the night.

On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, Edward had a big project he needed to work on so Bella was left alone. She decided to use the day to relax and catch up on her reading for her English class but by noon she was already bored. She decided to do something she'd never done before, and she called Alice, asking her if she wanted to hang out. Alice was extremely excited that Bella had called her and told her that she and Rose had plans for the afternoon but she was more than welcome to join them. Bella disagreed at first but when Alice assured her she wouldn't be interrupting anything, she agreed and got ready to leave the house.

An hour later, Alice picked Bella up and they headed to Rose's for the day. They spent the day relaxing, casually talking and watching movies and basically catching up. They made themselves some lunch and fooled around with makeup and nail polish. Bella was thoroughly enjoying herself as her nails were painted light pink and she sat with a smile on her face as Alice painted Rose's toes.

"So, Bella, tell us about Edward," Alice asked with a grin.

Bella looked up from the magazine she was flipping through. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything! You never talk about him. What's he like? Tell us the juicy stuff."

Bella laughed. "I don't really know what to tell you."

Bella had never talked boys before so she didn't know what to say. She didn't know what they told each other so it was difficult for her to say anything. She was unsure whether she would be giving away too much or too little information, or if they would react negatively. Also, since her relationship status with Edward hadn't been decided, she really wasn't sure what they were to each other so it was difficult for her to share anything intimate.

"Is he a good kisser? We've only heard rumors," Rosalie said.

"Rumors?"

"Yeah, mainly from Jessica Stanley who claims his lips are sent from heaven or something."

Bella made a disgusted face as the mental image of Jessica's lips on Edward's once again resurfaced.

"Ugh…Jessica Stanley," Bella mumbled.

Alice and Rosalie laughed and Bella smiled.

"Come on," Rosalie said. "Is he a good kisser?"

Bella smiled and nodded. "Yeah, he really is," she said with a blush.

Alice and Rosalie smiled. "I don't really have anyone to compare him too, but he's really amazing," Bella added.

"Is he sweet?" Alice asked. "We always thought Edward would be so sweet and caring if he ever found a girlfriend."

"He really is. He's…perfect," Bella said with a smile.

"We're so glad you're happy, Bella. And you're honestly so perfect for Edward."

Bella smiled and her day had immediately gotten better with that comment. She knew she wasn't his girlfriend but a lot of the time, she felt like it. Plus, she had meant what she said – he really was perfect.

"So what have you guys done together?" Rose asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You know…how far have you guys gotten?"

"Oh…umm…" Bella was a little skeptical about broaching that subject mainly because she didn't know what Edward wanted them to know. "We've made out a few times but that's the furthest. We've only kissed."

Alice and Rosalie just sat staring at her.

"What?" Bella asked.

"You've only kissed?" Rose repeated.

Bella nodded.

"Your first kiss was at the dance, right?"

Bella nodded again.

Rosalie was quiet for a second as she did the math in her head. "Holy crap. That was like more than a month ago…You've been dating for over a month and all you've done is kiss?" Rosalie asked, shocked.

"We're taking it slow," Bella replied with a shrug.

"My God. There's taking it slow and then there's…Taking. It. Slow."

Bella rolled her eyes. "We're going with the flow. Every once in a while things get a little more intense. When we went on that date two weeks ago, we got back and things started to get a little…heated…but he stopped it before it could get too out of hand."

"Edward stopped it?" Alice asked.

"Yeah…He said we had just had our first date and we should slow things down. And then things got sort of hectic with school and stuff and yeah…"

Bella bit her lip and stared down at her hands.

"We don't really have a normal relationship," she added.

Rose and Alice nodded. Bella wanted to tell them more but there was too much they didn't know. They didn't know Edward stayed with her every night. They didn't know about all of the stuff they were going through. Even though they knew their relationship wasn't like any other, it was too hard to talk about things with them because she couldn't tell them everything there was to tell to make things make sense.

"What do you guys do when you're together?" Alice asked.

"Homework. Our parents don't know there's anything between us. My dad is always home now so when Edward comes over we just sit in the kitchen. He can't come up to my room and we don't have a basement to watch TV. There's no getting away from my dad. He's always there. When we're at Edward's, it's pretty much the same thing. We can't go to his room so we stay in the living room and I mean…yeah…sometimes we kiss but his parents are always walking in and out."

"Man…that sucks," Rose said.

"Do you guys want to do more?" Alice asked.

"Well…I don't know. It's complicated. We've never talked about it actually." She paused for a second wondering why they'd never had that conversation. "Obviously he makes me…feel things…that no one has ever made me feel before…but it's all so new, you know? I've never done this before. I've never had a boyfriend. Edward was my first kiss so I don't know what to do…I don't know what the steps are. And I mean…like you said, he's never had a girlfriend either. We just sort of do what's comfortable."

"Well that's good," Alice said. "As long as you guys are happy, that's all that matters. You take things at your own pace and that's how your relationship will succeed. It's when you start rushing things that you run into trouble."

"Yeah, but don't you want more?" Rose asked. "When Emm and I first started dating, we couldn't keep our hands to ourselves. Making out is really fun but after a while, it just doesn't cut it anymore."

"Yeah, but they've never done anything else. They don't know what they're missing out on," Alice said.

"I don't know, guys. Honestly, I'm really happy right now. Edward is just so…great. Kissing him is amazing and obviously I want to do more but I don't want to rush it. Neither of us do. And I think we'll just know when we should take the next step." She paused for a second. "Right? I mean…how does that work? You don't have the conversation, _hey maybe we should start taking our clothes off now_. It sort of just happens eventually, right?"

Alice and Rose smiled. "Yeah. That's what's best for you two," Alice replied.

They sat in silence for a little while.

"But don't you get horny?" Rose blurted.

They all laughed and Alice shook her head at Rosalie. Bella blushed and didn't want to answer.

"I mean…come on, Alice. Bella, you must be masturbating like crazy. Edward is for sure doing it like every day. Obviously he wants to see you naked and I'm sure he wants to touch you or he at least wants you to touch him…he's just being a good guy."

"Exactly…he's being a good boyfriend or whatever he is. He's not forcing her into anything," Alice answered trying to take the pressure off Bella.

Bella was no longer listening to Alice talk. She was too focused on what Rosalie had just said. She had never though of Edward doing…that…to himself. She wondered if Rose was right but she once again didn't know what to say.

"Edward is for sure?" Bella asked slowly and quietly. "He's…He…every day?"

"You're asking if he jacks off?" Rose questioned with a smile. "He for sure does, Bella. Especially if you're getting him all hot and bothered and then sending him home."

Suddenly Bella realized she had been neglecting Edward's needs.

"What do I…do?"

"Give him a hand job," Rose muttered under her breath.

"Rose!" Alice chastised. "Bella, don't listen to her. You guys should definitely do things at your own pace. You can ask him what he thinks of all this but don't let Rose make you feel bad about going too slow."

What Alice had said made Bella feel a little better but Rose's words were too prominent in her mind. She wondered if Edward had been expecting that from her and she just never offered. She thought about hand jobs and wondered if she was ready but she didn't even know where to begin. She didn't know how to do it or even how to start it. She wanted to make him feel good and she wanted to please him but she was too nervous. She felt terrible for it and she spent the rest of the night wondering what Edward thought about her.

With her mind plagued with Rosalie's words, she just couldn't wait for Edward to get there. The second Charlie went to bed she bolted up to her room and called Edward to tell him to come over.

She was sitting on her bed when she heard the light tap on her window and when she opened it, he climbed into her room before giving her a sweet kiss hello. She loved those sweet kisses he gave her. They were often followed by a gentle stroke of the cheek or a soft hug and Bella smiled at the thought.

But then she remembered everything she had talked about with Rose and Alice. And suddenly, the kiss was too sweet and innocent for her. Suddenly their entire relationship was too sweet and innocent. She looked up at him and he smiled softly down at her and she felt a new urge rush through her. She felt it in her core and she was sick of those soft pecks. She wanted more.

"Wha – "

Edward tried to ask her what she was doing but her lips silenced him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted herself up onto her tippy toes so their faces were levelled and she kissed him with everything she had. Her tongue lapped against his and his hands came to rest on her hips. She let out a small moan and she thought back to her conversation with Alice and Rosalie. They had asked her if she wanted more and in that second, she did. She felt his hands on her body, his lips, his tongue, everything and she wanted to do more than just kiss him.

They broke apart momentarily to catch their breath and on any other night, that was usually when they would call it quits. They would normally stop and set up their bed and they would fall asleep. But Bella didn't feel like sleeping. Edward smiled at her and stroked her cheek and he was once again being sweet and innocent and Bella wanted him to be as Rosalie described. She wanted him to be hot and bothered.

She gave him a seductive smile and she bit her lip as she grabbed his hand and led him toward her bed.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a smile.

She sat down and she pulled him forward and Edward realized what she wanted so he pushed her backward until she was flat on her back and he settled himself on top of her.

"I missed you," Bella said with a smile.

Edward let his body press against hers. "I noticed."

He lowered his head and he pressed his lips to hers and Bella felt her entire body quiver. She ran her hands along his back and he ran his down her sides and before they knew it they were panting and kissing and licking and touching. Edward's lips left her mouth as they traveled down her jaw to her neck. He licked and sucked and kissed as Bella moaned and writhed beneath him. When Edward started rubbing his length against her thigh she let her hands wander under his shirt until she was running her nails along the skin of his back.

Edward's lips returned to hers and something changed in Bella because she now wanted to have control. She broke the kiss but Edward wasn't having any of that so he continued to pepper her neck with kisses.

"Go on your back," Bella whispered into his ear.

"What?" Edward asked as he continued to kiss her.

"Move onto your back," she repeated.

Edward looked at her, not really knowing why she wanted him to move onto his back. He briefly thought it was because she wanted him off of her so he moved and lay down beside her. In one quick move, she threw one of her legs over his thighs and straddled his hips.

"Bella," he whispered as she leaned over and kissed him.

Edward didn't know what had gotten into her but he wasn't going to complain. The feel of Bella's body on top of his was almost surreal and he found himself just wanting to stare at the way she straddled him. She looked so good in that position and his mind could do nothing but wander to the dirtiest of places. Her lips were swollen, her cheeks were pink, her hair was all over the place, and her clothes were all disheveled but she still looking absolutely delicious.

He couldn't control himself so he quickly leaned up so they could be closer and they kissed as their chests pressed together. Edward's hands returned to her hips and Bella slowly started lifting his shirt. Edward could feel what she wanted to do and instead of stopping her, he helped her by lifting his arms over his head. Bella was half expecting him to tell her to stop but when he didn't, she slowly dragged his t-shirt up and over his head. When he was finally bare-chested, she threw his shirt on the floor before sitting and just staring at his naked torso.

The last time she had seen him without a shirt on, he was nowhere near as toned as he currently was. He hadn't been working out that long but a good two months of effort was showing beautifully. He looked amazing. The muscles of his chest weren't too big and they weren't too small. She ran her hands across his naked skin until she slowly pushed him back onto his back and she started to lick and kiss from his neck to his chest. She continued down to his stomach and she saw rather than felt the bulge in his pants.

Edward's jeans were tight against his crotch and Bella wanted to touch it. She was skeptical at first because it was such a big deal for her. She'd never done anything like it before and she didn't even really know what she was supposed to do, but her hand had a mind of its own as it suddenly started to travel down his chest, to his stomach and to the top of his jeans. She watched as her hand played with the hem of his boxers as she debated with herself over how to just let her hand wander over to his length.

"Bella?" Edward asked as he noticed her staring at his crotch.

She looked up at him shyly as she blushed and bit her lip.

"You're blushing," he said with a smile. "What are you thinking?"

She bit her lip harder and she looked between his erection and his eyes.

"I'm thinking about how to do this successfully."

Edward scrunched his eyebrows. "Do what successfully? I think you've been doing everything very successfully."

"Well…you know…the next step."

"The next step?"

She eyed the bulge in his pants again and she moved further down his legs. She moved her hands to his belt as she started to undo it.

Edward finally figured out what she was talking about so he stopped her with a muffled groan.

"Bella…I…you…you don't have to…do that…"

Her hands were shaking as his belt was unbuckled and she was breathing very heavily. Edward saw how nervous she was so he sat up and grabbed her hands in his.

"Hey," he said softly. "What's wrong?"

"I want to satisfy your needs," she blurted.

Edward laughed. "Why are you so nervous?"

"Because I don't know what I'm doing."

She was biting her lip and her face was more red than usual and he knew they weren't ready.

"Bella? Are you sure we're…ready for that? Are we ready to move to the next step."

"Well apparently we've been dating for over a month and we're crazy to only have kissed in all this time."

Edward sighed and moved her off his lap because he knew they now needed to have a serious conversation and he was in no state to do so. He buckled his belt and put his shirt back on before turning to face her with a soft expression.

"Bella," he started slowly. "You sound like you're quoting someone."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Alice and Rosalie may have said something today."

"God, those two never mind their own business, do they?"

Bella remained silent.

"Do you think we're moving too slow?" he asked.

"No," she replied softly.

"So then who cares what they think?"

"I don't care what they think…I care what you think."

"You think I think we're moving too slow?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what you think. But I know you're a guy and you probably want to do more than just kiss."

Edward smiled at her. "Bella, I think this is perfect. I think it's great that we slowly add new things every day. We test our limits every time and we slowly get further and further."

She was quiet as she contemplated what he was saying and she realized he was right. They wouldn't be Edward and Bella if they didn't do things at their own pace and in their own way.

"So...it's okay that we're just kissing? It's okay that we're not getting naked and stuff?"

Edward laughed. "Yes, Bella. Well I mean, if you want to get naked, be my guest."

Bella hit him lightly on the chest. Edward smiled and laughed and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Bella, look, we can't compare ourselves to other couples. We will advance but it'll come naturally. I don't want you to feel pressured into anything. And tonight, as much as I would have loved for you to you know…touch me there…it wouldn't have felt right because you didn't want to do it for us, you felt like you needed to do it because that's what I was expecting."

"You sound like Dr Aro."

"Please don't say that."

She smiled. There was a pause before she spoke again. "I just want to make sure you're not going crazy with all the foreplay and no follow-through."

"Thank you for thinking of me, but don't worry. It does get a little difficult sometimes. And it probably will get more and more difficult as we progress, but we'll get to that next step when we're comfortable, okay?"

Bella nodded as Edward had calmed some of her worries. She paused for a long moment but then realized she had more to say.

"Edward…"

"Yeah?"

"I still have some…questions," Bella said, nervously.

"Alright, questions about what?"

Bella fiddled nervously with the blanket as she stared down at her hands.

"Do you...like...do you...touch...yourself?"

"What?" Edward asked quickly as his head shot toward her.

Bella turned her head to look at him but she quickly turned back to the blanket. "Do you...do you…pleasure yourself...ever?"

Edward's eyes widened. "Why are you asking me that?"

She took a deep breath. "Rose and Alice asked me how much we'd done together and when I told them we've only kissed they sort of said…poor Edward type of thing. And then Rose said that you definitely pleasure yourself since you know…I'm getting you all hot and bothered and then stopping."

Edward took a deep breath. "You're not hanging out with Rose and Alice anymore."

Bella bit her lip and ignored his comment. "You didn't answer my question."

Edward groaned. "Bella," he sighed.

"Just tell me."

"Well…I mean…you know the answer to that. Everyone does that."

Bella bit her lip nervously. She blushed and Edward understood why.

"You…don't?" he asked slowly.

She shook her head no.

"Never?"

"Not anymore," she whispered.

"You used to?" he asked with a grin.

She rolled her eyes but the blush was still prominent on her face.

He paused for a second. "Why don't you anymore?"

"Well…I don't know…the only available time is at night and you're here. When else am I going to do it? At four o'clock in the afternoon? That's just weird."

"I don't know..." he shrugged. "I do it in the morning, in the shower."

Bella stared at him and Edward didn't realize what he was suggesting. Showering was usually a private time for most people, but how could Bella pleasure herself when Edward was standing in the same room. Recognition finally dawned on him.

"Alright, I guess you can't do it in the shower...well, I mean, you can...if you want to." He looked at her then and gave her a seductive wink.

She chuckled and lightly punched his arm. Then she remembered what he had said. "Wait...you do it every morning?"

"Um...yeah pretty much."

"Like...every every morning?"

"Well…I don't know…it's not routine. I do it when I feel like doing it. It's perfectly normal you know? Emmett does it like every morning and every night and sometimes he sneaks into the bathroom during lunch to do it. So...you know... I'm normal compared to him."

"He does it three times a day?" she asked shocked. "But he has Rosalie."

"Emmett is a special case."

There was a short pause.

"If we were…pleasuring each other…would you still do it every morning?"

Edward smiled. "No…I wouldn't need to."

Bella smiled. The notion of being with Edward in that way was extremely appealing to her.

"So…you really don't ever?" Edward asked.

"Nope."

"Don't you get…horny?"

"Well…with you I do."

They were opening up in a way they never had before because there was now genuine want between the two of them. Edward made Bella feel all sorts of things but she never voiced them out loud.

"But we never go further than kissing. Don't you feel the need to…you know…release all that pent up tension?"

"Well…yeah…but you're always here when I want to have my…release…you know? Then we fall asleep and I wake up the next morning and I kind of forget about it."

Edward was getting way too turned on by the conversation they were having. The thought of Bella touching herself was too much for him to handle and the hard-on he was previously sporting immediately returned.

"Well…I mean…you know it's not that weird to do it at four in the afternoon. I wouldn't be weirded out by that." He leaned over then and gave her a kiss on the neck. "You could even call me or something when you're about to do it." He gave her another kiss on the neck. "Or you could invite me over." He moved her onto her back and moved her hair away from her neck and he continued to kiss and lick along her jaw. "I would sit very quietly. I wouldn't make not even the slightest of sounds. I would just…watch."

Bella moaned. "You're making me want to do it right now."

Edward groaned and pressed himself against her again. "God, Bella. You can't say stuff like that to me." He let a single finger slide down her stomach. "I can help you out with that, you know."

Their mouths connected and he massaged his tongue against hers and they were once again quickly losing themselves in the moment. It wasn't until they heard the bed springs shifting in Charlie's bedroom that they realized they had taken it a little too far for one night. Edward groaned and removed himself from her body.

"Fuck," he whispered.

Bella smiled because she knew how riled up she had gotten him and she was glad he wanted to continue.

"Shall we resume another night?"

Edward sighed and nodded. They got up, set up their bed on the floor, and Edward placed himself onto his side as Bella pressed her backside against his throbbing erection. He moaned at the feeling before pushing her forward a little bit to give him some space.

"I'll definitely be doing you know what in the shower tomorrow morning."

And Bella smiled because it was okay. He'd be thinking of her as he pleasured himself and she couldn't wait to do it herself.

The next week started to get even more hectic with school but no one really cared because Thanksgiving was fast approaching and everyone was looking forward to the long weekend. Bella and Charlie had decided to spend Thanksgiving with the Cullens so Esme cancelled Bella's cooking lesson on Sunday with promises of showing her how to cook a proper turkey. Bella was beyond excited and she couldn't wait to get to the Cullen house early Thursday morning to begin the preparations.

The beginning of the week dragged on and it seemed like the day would never come. On Wednesday however, when Edward dropped Bella off at home, there was something different that neither could quite place their finger on. As he drove down her road, Bella eyed her house and when she saw the familiar car sitting in her driveway, she gasped in shocked.

"Whose car is that?" Edward asked.

That car was one she would recognize anywhere. It was a black Mazda 3 with bright pink seats, lights around the license plate, and two big purple dice hanging from the rearview mirror. A grin spread across her face the second she saw it.

"Bella?"

Edward was trying to find out the reason behind Bella's smile but Bella said nothing. She was too happy. She was so excited she couldn't voice a single word. As Edward stopped the car in front of her house, she didn't even wait for him to put it in park before she threw the door open and ran into her house.

And there she was.

Sitting at the kitchen table wearing a pair of baggy jeans and a red sweater was the woman Bella had missed more than anyone in the world. Her hair was longer then when Bella had last seen it but she was still as beautiful as ever.

A single word fell from Bella's lips as she threw herself into a pair of welcoming arms she had greatly missed.

"Mom."

* * *

**So I would like to remind everyone that Jimmy and James are TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. Please don't be confused.**

**Also, I know you all wanted more on the kidnapping but this chapter was getting really long and it wouldn't have tied in nicely with the way it ended. It'll fit much better with the next chapter...so my apologies! But just trust me!**

**Next up is Thanksgiving with the Cullens which hopefully won't take as long to get out. It should be an interesting chapter!**

**Also! The lovely SabLuvsLogan made the most adorable banner last week. Go check it out...it's on my profile as Banner 2...I LOVE IT! **

**And as always...review for a teaser!**


	23. Chapter 21 Part 1

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.

Thanks as always to the lovely **SabLuvsLogan**

**This chapter was getting insanely long so I split it into two. Here is part one of Thanksgiving with the Cullens. Enjoy!**

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_PREVIOUSLY_

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_Sitting at the kitchen table wearing a pair of baggy jeans and a red sweater was the woman Bella had missed more than anyone in the world. Her hair was longer then when Bella had last seen it but she was still as beautiful as ever._

_A single word fell from Bella's lips as she threw herself into a pair of welcoming arms she had greatly missed._

_"Mom."_

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Chapter 21 – Part One

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"What are you doing here?" Bella screeched into her mother's ear.

Renee laughed. "I came to spend Thanksgiving with my beautiful daughter."

Bella didn't know if she was dreaming or if her mother was actually standing in the middle of her kitchen but in that single second, she didn't care. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Renee's neck and she wasn't planning on letting go any time soon.

There was so much Bella had wanted to say but she was completely overwhelmed with the happiness that soared through her that it was difficult for her to find the right words. The tears falling down her face were unpreventable as she basked in the feeling of her mother's long-awaited warm embrace.

"I missed you," Bella whispered.

"Oh, I missed you too, baby girl."

Bella loosened her hold around her mother's neck but the tears were still falling freely down her cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" Renee asked with a small chuckle as she wiped the tears away with her fingertips.

"I don't know!" Bella replied, using her sleeves to wipe away any remaining wetness.

Renee laughed and hugged her daughter again.

"I almost forgot how beautiful you were," Renee said with a smile.

Bella sniffled. "When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago. Phil was out of town so instead of spending the holidays alone, I figured I'd hop on a plane and come visit good ol' Forks, Washington. I told Charlie I wanted to surprise you so that's why he didn't say anything."

Bella smiled and gave her another hug. "I'm so glad you're here."

A small cough in the kitchen doorway alerted them to Edward's presence.

"Oh, Edward! I'm so sorry!" Bella exclaimed after realizing she had been so caught up in the moment that she completely forgot about leaving Edward alone in the car outside.

"I didn't mean to interrupt, I was just making sure everything was okay," he said slowly.

"My mom is here!" Bella cried. "She came down for me and she's going to spend Thanksgiving with us!"

Edward smiled at Bella's enthusiasm as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hello, Edward," Renee greeted with a smile.

"Renee, it's a pleasure to see you again."

"Oh, Edward, as polite as ever," she answered with a smile as she hugged him hello. "Taking care of my daughter?"

"Of course," he said as he shot a gorgeous smile toward Bella.

"How she keeps her hands off you is beyond me," she muttered as she stroked a piece of his hair. "If I were her age…you would be running to get away from me."

Edward chuckled.

"Mom!" Bella whined and Renee didn't fail to notice the blush that graced her daughter's cheeks.

"I missed that blush, baby girl. Edward, you do make her blush, right?"

"All the time," he answered with another smirk.

Bella rolled her eyes and Edward winked at her.

"Edward, tell me you'll stay for supper. All Bella does is talk about you. I want to get to know this boy who my little girl is obsessed with."

"Mom," Bella whispered.

"Oh, shush. Come on, Edward, you'll stay right? We'll order some takeout or something."

"Yeah, sure, I'll stay," he answered with a shrug.

"Perfect! What do you guys want? Or…oh! Maybe I can finally try some of that delicious food you've learned to cook, Bella."

Bella smiled at the prospect of cooking. "I actually learned how to make tacos last weekend. It shouldn't take too long. It'll be ready by the time dad comes home. Do you want tacos?"

"Mmm, tacos," Edward mumbled since it was one of his favourite meals.

Renee smiled and Bella laughed before starting her preparations. She settled herself at the kitchen counter and she started grabbing the necessary ingredients but she quickly found herself having a hard time taking her eyes off Edward and her mom.

Edward was being his usual charming self, which was working perfectly with Renee. She was laughing and blushing and joking around with him as he shot her his beautiful smirks and smiles.

Renee had never had the opportunity for a fun, light conversation with Edward and she found herself captivated with the boy she knew little about. Only knowing what Bella had told her during their weekly phone calls, she now understood why Bella cared for him so much. She simply couldn't get enough of him.

She also didn't fail to notice the way he was with Bella. Renee watched how he helped her in the kitchen, how gentle he was with her, how he placed his hand on her lower back, on her shoulder, on her arm. She was intrigued with their closeness because she hadn't understood what Charlie had meant when he said they spent all their time together. She figured that was only normal but she now saw how much more there was between them.

Later that evening, when Charlie got home from work, they all enjoyed a nice dinner together as everyone was able to talk and catch up. When they were finished, Edward helped clean up and even did the dishes, impressing Renee with his manners even further.

They talked a little more after supper but Edward needed to head home when it started getting late, so they gathered in the entrance to say their goodbyes.

"It was nice seeing you again, Renee. We'll see you tomorrow for dinner, right?" Edward said as he put his jacket on.

"Yes, of course! We'll be heading there bright and early to cook the turkey. Well… I'll watch your mom cook it. I won't touch anything."

"Thank God," Charlie muttered under his breath.

"I heard that!" Renee chastised as she turned to look at him.

Charlie grinned and Renee rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you can make a much better turkey, Charlie Swan," she teased.

"I'm also sure I can. At least I'll know I have to take it out of the oven at some point."

"That was one time!"

They were teasing each other but they had smiles on their faces as they were doing so and Bella loved the feeling. She was standing in her entrance with three of the most important people in her life and she felt complete – like she wanted to hit pause and rearrange the situation so her mother and father were happily married. She wanted them to hold hands and smile as Edward held hers.

She snapped back to reality when Charlie grunted a goodbye to Edward before heading into the living room.

"Alright, drive safe, Edward," Renee said.

"I will. Have a good night. Thanks for supper, Bella," he said with a smile.

"You're welcome," she replied as she smiled back at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow? Bright and early?" he asked with a grin.

"Bright and early. You better be awake," she said as she poked his chest.

He laughed. "I will, I will, don't worry."

Renee couldn't keep the smile off her face as she watched her daughter smile at the boy in front of her.

"Alright, have a good night sleep, Bella."

"Goodnight, Edward."

With that final goodbye, he opened the door and headed down the driveway as Bella watched his perfect figure head down to his car. She took in a deep breath and exhaled before turning back to her mother, desperately trying to keep her smile at bay.

Renee was smiling sweetly at her daughter and Bella knew there was something she wanted to say.

"What?" Bella asked.

"Oh, nothing. He really is adorable."

Bella bit her lip and nodded. "I know," she whispered.

* * *

Later that night, when they had all been completely talked out, Charlie headed to bed and Bella helped Renee set up the guest room.

"I remember setting up this bed for Grandma Swan. She was always such a pain in the ass," Renee said as she smoothed the sheets over the mattress.

"Grandma Swan was not a pain in the ass."

"Yeah…to you she wasn't. She loved you."

Bella laughed and sat down on the bed next to her mom. "I really miss you," she said with a smile.

"I miss you too, baby."

After a short pause, a grin spread across Renee's face.

"What?" Bella asked.

"When were you planning on telling me Edward was your boyfriend?"

"Wh…What?"

"Edward. The beautiful boy you go to school with. The sweetest boy I've ever met. He's your boyfriend isn't he?"

Bella was at a loss for words. "I…I…no…he's…"

She was stammering and it told Renee exactly what she wanted to know.

"Bella," she started softly. "I saw you two tonight. The way he looks at you…it's…intense." She paused for a moment. "You can tell me, you know?"

Bella bit her lip and was suddenly extremely conflicted. She wanted to tell her mother but she didn't want her to tell anyone else.

"You saw us tonight…and it was…intense…why do you assume we're boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Because I could tell it was extremely difficult for both of you to keep your hands to yourselves," she answered with a laugh. "I saw all those little strokes and touches when you thought no one was looking. Your mother is always watching, you should know that by now."

Bella was silent as she stared down at her hands.

"Don't be ashamed, sweetie."

"I'm not ashamed," Bella responded quickly.

"Then what?"

"I just…" Bella took a deep breath before continuing. "Mom…I'll tell you but you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay? Nobody. Especially not dad."

"Of course."

Bella took a deep breath before speaking. "Remember the dance I went to last month?"

Renee nodded.

"Well, after the dance… Edward…. kissed me."

Renee grinned and squealed. "I knew it! You were so excited after that dance! That was your first kiss, right?"

Bella bit her lip and nodded.

"Ah! That's so exciting! So I was right then, he is your boyfriend."

"Well…not exactly. We can't tell anyone, mom. Dad is really serious about Edward and I not becoming an item. And I think his parents agree. We can't tell anyone at school cause word can get out really easily. This is Forks after all. That's why, you can't tell anyone. Okay? Please, please, please, don't say a word."

"Okay, okay, alright, calm down. Don't worry, I won't say a word."

It took a minute but Bella eventually relaxed since she knew she could trust her mother.

After a short pause, Renee spoke up again. "So…you're like…secret boyfriend and girlfriend then?"

She shook her head no. "Not even. We kiss and stuff in private, but we're not an official couple."

"You kiss and stuff?" she repeated slowly. "Do we have to have the talk again?"

"No, mom, don't worry. It's not like that."

"I was a teenager, Bella. And if you're anything like me, that boy's clothes would not be kept on for very long."

Bella blushed in embarrassment. "Mom! Please!"

Renee laughed. "I'm just saying. You are one lucky girl. He is gorgeous."

"I know, but…we're just…taking things slow."

Renee smiled. "That's what a mother loves to hear."

Bella smiled and looked down at her hands with pink tinted cheeks. Renee took the opportunity to really look at her daughter in that room, sitting on that bed. It had been over three months since she'd last seen her but what a difference it had made. Bella's eyes were no longer full of fear. Her arms were no longer cut and bruised. She was no longer too skinny and too pale. Her face was now rounder and her skin was now smooth. The color had returned to her face and there was genuine happiness shining in her eyes.

Bella was once again her little girl.

"You truly are happy, aren't you?" Renee stated.

Bella smiled and bit her lip before looking up and answering her mother. "Yeah, I'm really happy. Edward makes me…really happy."

Renee smiled and they gave each other a hug goodnight before Bella headed to her own bedroom. When Edward got there a few minutes later, she told him Renee knew the truth but he didn't seem to mind either.

"She like…knew," Bella said.

"She knew?"

"Yeah…she said we were super obvious."

"What? How? I didn't even touch you!"

"I think we touch each other unconsciously or something. She said she saw all the little touches and strokes we gave each other when we thought no one was looking."

"Huh…I was actually restraining myself."

"Yeah, so was I. I guess it's just really easy to be myself in front of my mom."

Edward gave her a soft smile. "She's really great."

"She really is."

Edward smiled at her and motioned for her to come closer. He placed his hands on her face and gave her a soft, sweet kiss.

"We'll have to be up really early tomorrow. You'll have to be out of here by like six cause I have to be at your mom's around 7 and my mom is going to barge in here at like 6:15, I just know it. She gets really excited during the holidays."

* * *

Bella had been right when she said her mother was going to run into her room at 6:15 in the morning. When Edward left – still half asleep as he climbed out the window - she settled herself in her bed, pretending to be sleeping, when Renee flew into her bedroom without knocking or announcing herself.

"BEELLLLAAAAAA! Wake up!"

Bella groaned and rolled over and told her mom to go away but Renee just laughed and pulled the covers off of her. Bella huffed but the excitement of having her mother there to wake her up was enough to put a smile on her face.

They got ready and ate breakfast together and at seven o'clock, they headed over to cook the turkey with Esme.

After ringing the doorbell, Esme greeted them with the same smile that always adorned her face when Bella arrived for her cooking lessons.

"Happy Thanksgiving! Oh, Renee! It's so lovely to see you again!"

"Well hello, Esme!"

"Come in, come in," she said as she stepped out of the way.

Bella and Renee took off their coats and hung them in the closet in the entrance before walking toward the kitchen.

"So, how have you been?" Esme asked as she looked over her shoulder.

"I've been good, how about you?" Renee answered.

"Oh, good. I love the holidays. Cooking a turkey is my absolute favourite thing to do!"

Bella remained fairly quiet as Renee and Esme got reacquainted. She knew they spoke to each other over the phone every now and then but it seemed to her like they had gotten to know each other quite well. She tried to remind herself to ask Renee just how often she spoke to Esme but decided for the time being to focus on learning how to prepare a turkey.

"You're quiet today, Bella," Esme stated.

"It's early."

"I woke her up at 6:15. I just love the holidays," Renee said with a grin as she wrapped her arm around Bella's shoulder.

Bella shook her head and Esme laughed.

"I heard you made tacos for supper last night. Edward said they were delicious!"

Bella blushed. "I learned from the best."

"They were amazing!" Renee exclaimed. "I was so excited to finally try some of that cooking she's been learning and I must say, Esme, you have been teaching her well!"

"Oh, it's so much fun! She's such a pleasure to be around!"

"Isn't she?" Renee said as she smiled down at Bella. "You know who else is a pleasure to be around? Your son! My goodness, that boy must be fighting off girls all over the place!"

"Yeah, Edward doesn't realize how good looking he is," Esme replied.

"Who's good looking?"

Esme, Renee, and Bella all turned at the same time to find Edward grinning in the doorway.

"Hello, Edward," Renee said with a smile.

"Morning, Renee," he smirked.

"That smile!" she exclaimed as she placed her hand over her heart. "I feel bad for the girls at school, Edward."

"Oh, they survive," Esme answered.

"How would you know?" Edward said with a laugh as he reached up into the cupboard to grab a box of cereal.

He was wearing a pair of loose fitting pajama pants that hung low on his hips and Bella watched as he reached up, eyeing the hem of his dark grey boxers that were slowly revealing themselves. She watched his every move as he grabbed a bowl and a spoon, loving the way he looked. When he turned to walk toward her, she quickly averted her eyes so she wouldn't be caught staring. He stopped right in front of her and her heart rate picked up. She didn't realize what he was doing until he put both his hands on her hips and shifted her to the left since she was standing right in front of the fridge.

"Morning, Bella. Excuse me."

She attempted to say good morning, but she couldn't get the words to form and he smirked at what his mere presence did to her. All he needed was a light touch to make her lose her focus.

Everyone in the room disappeared around her then as she stared at him pouring his milk and eating his cereal. She stared at his forearms as he took spoonful after spoonful of Honeycombs into his mouth, loving the movement of his newly formed muscles.

Bella's daze was broken by Esme clearing her throat. "Alright, I'm going to get the potatoes downstairs and then we can start seasoning the turkey."

Bella nodded and moved out of her way as Esme passed by and headed downstairs. She cleared her throat and shook her head as she moved toward the stool at the island in order to clear her mind of any dirty thoughts she was having of Edward.

Edward watched Bella as he ate his cereal and she looked back at him as they gave each other small smiles while Renee watched on.

"Oh, for God's sake, Edward, please go kiss her hello."

Edward looked up at her. "What?" he asked while milk dripped down his chin.

Bella bit her lip as her cheeks turned pink. "Mom," she whispered.

"Come on! I know you want to. You don't have much time."

Edward laughed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He got up then and slowly approached Bella, placing himself in front of her and lifting her chin to plant a soft, warm kiss on her lips. He gave her a second kiss – just as soft as the first – before straightening up and placing another kiss on her forehead.

As badly as he wanted to slide his tongue into her mouth, he knew Renee was watching and he was trying as hard as he could to make a good impression. He desperately needed to be able to show somebody how good he could be to Bella. She smiled up at him and he smiled down at her before he grabbed her hand in his and entwined their fingers together. He turned his head to look at Renee and he found her smiling at them.

"Ah, to be a teenager," Renee said.

"You want to be a teenager?" Esme called as she came back into the room lugging an enormous bag of potatoes.

Edward slowly let go of Bella's hand and turned to help his mom.

"Thank you, dear. Renee, I think Edward likes you, he never hangs around the kitchen this long with us."

"Well, if you don't mind him dating an older woman, I have no problem taking him off your hands."

Esme laughed and Edward blushed as he smiled.

"Alright, that's my cue to leave. I'll be upstairs if you need me," Edward said as he placed his bowl in the sink.

His message was directed toward Bella as he hoped she would get a second to step away and join him upstairs and she shot him a look saying she'd understood what he was saying.

"Bye, Edward," Renee purred.

"Bye, Renee. Looking forward to seeing you later," he teased. He winked at her with a smirk before turning and heading upstairs.

"Wear something nice!" Esme called after him.

They quickly got back to work then and Bella followed Esme's every direction in hopes of making the dinner perfect. She was mainly trying to impress Edward but she also didn't want to mess anything up because she knew there was going to be a decent amount of people attending.

Two hours later, everything was going exactly as planned so Bella didn't have much to worry about. She tried to listen to every word Esme was speaking as they seasoned the turkey and cut up the vegetables but all she could really think of was Edward upstairs, waiting for her. She thought about what he was doing - if he was really waiting for her to get up there - and she thought about what would happen when she actually met up with him. She was getting flustered just thinking about it so she focused on her vegetables to clear her mind.

When the turkey was placed in the oven, Bella realized she would finally have a second to get away so she decided the only way to do so was to head upstairs to change into her Thanksgiving attire.

"Esme, I'm just going to go change. I think guests should be arriving soon so I'm going to change now and then I'll get started on the potatoes."

"Okay, dear, not a problem. You can use the guest bedroom upstairs if you'd like."

Bella thanked her before grabbing her bag and heading upstairs. She thought about first going to Edward's room but she really wanted to change and wash up since she smelled of vegetables and uncooked turkey.

With all the willpower she had, she walked right by Edward's room and headed to the guest bedroom with the attached bathroom where she washed her face before applying some mascara and lip-gloss. After reapplying her deodorant and spraying on a bit of perfume, she slipped on, for the first time, the dress Alice and Rosalie had bought her for her birthday when they had all gone shopping together. The dress fell to just above her knees and it was all black with a small white belt that tied around her waist. She matched the dress with a pair of white flats before combing her hair and tying it in a high ponytail.

When she was satisfied with the way she looked, she exited the guest bedroom and headed toward Edward's room where she gave a small knock before entering slowly. She poked her head in to make sure he was fully clothed, not wanting a repeat of when she walked in on him naked, and when she saw him sitting at his desk, she smiled at him.

"Hey," he said sweetly when she entered the room. He allowed his eyes to rake over her body before getting up and approaching her.

"Hi," she said softly with a small blush.

"You look…beautiful."

She smiled and stepped closer toward him.

"What are you doing up here all alone?" she asked.

"I was waiting for you. You took long enough," he said as he wrapped his arms around her small waist, bringing her body flush to his.

"I was busy cooking a turkey."

"Mmhmm," he said as he lowered his head to kiss her. Their lips touched and they kissed softly as they let their hands wander. Bella rested her hands on his back as Edward let his hands slowly run all the way down her body, from her shoulders to her hips. On his way back up, he slid his fingers against the exposed skin of her neck before disconnecting his mouth from hers and kissing a trail from her jaw to her collarbone.

"You're lucky it's just family here tonight or I would say you're showing too much skin."

Bella tried to answer but Edward's soft kisses were making it difficult for her to speak.

"I love your shoulders," he breathed.

She turned her head to the side in order to give him better access and he took advantage of the angle by slowly allowing one finger to hook underneath one of the straps of her dress. He slowly moved the strap off her shoulder until it was resting on her upper arm. He went to move her bra strap as well but when he saw the color, he paused.

Midnight blue.

He knew exactly what bra she was wearing.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked.

Edward swallowed nervously but didn't meet her eyes as his were trained on the bra strap. It had been two months since he felt that blue lace around his fingers when it had fallen out of her bags, and for two months he had been thinking about it. Bella in that bra had been the star of many fantasies but in front of him in that second, it was real. She was actually in front of him wearing it and he found himself wanting to rip her dress off so she could be standing in his bedroom wearing nothing but that sexy undergarment.

"Edward?" Bella asked, wondering why he'd stopped.

He licked his lips and allowed his hands to caress her shoulder as he brought his lips back to hers. He slowly walked her backward until she was pressed against the wall and he devoured her mouth with his as he imagined her in nothing but the bra. He let his hands wander down her body as her fingers made their way into his hair. Their tongues found each other and Bella let out a moan as Edward pressed his body against hers.

He pushed the bra strap down so her shoulder was bare and he kissed and nipped the naked skin, slowly moving down her collarbone to right above her right breast. She was breathing heavily and her chest was rising and falling as goosebumps started to form on her arms from the soft, wet kisses. She found herself in that moment wanting to give Edward access to more skin to see just how good he would make her feel.

His fingertips were lightly tracing up and down her arms as his tongue and lips played against her shoulder. She tried to control herself but she simply couldn't as the feel of his hands and lips were getting to be too much. She was letting out moan after moan and they were quickly getting louder and louder.

"Ugh, Bella. You have no idea what you're doing to me," Edward groaned.

He pressed himself against her again and let his tongue travel over every inch of skin he had access to.

"That feels…really…good," Bella whispered.

"Yeah? I love when you wear your hair up like this. Your neck is just…perfect."

His mouth travelled upward to the spot behind her ear and she melted into him.

"Edward," she moaned.

He looked at her and attacked her mouth, loving the sound of his name on her lips. They kissed passionately against the wall and he desperately wanted to hoist her into his arms and carry her over to his bed. He wanted to lay her down and slowly remove her dress as he kissed every single inch of her stomach; and watch her writhe beneath him as he stared at her in her blue lace bra.

She moaned again and pulled him against her and he was quickly losing his control. As their tongues intertwined, they never even took a second to breathe as they continued to kiss and lick. Bella kept pushing her chest into his and he wrapped his arms around her little waist to pull her closer.

"I don't want to go back down there," he whispered against her lips. "I want to keep you up here all day." He kissed down her neck. "That would be the best Thanksgiving."

Bella moaned and Edward's hands slowly started to wander all over her body. They went from her waist, up to her neck, then down her arms to her hips. He let them travel down her thighs and back up again. His hands then had a mind of their own as they travelled slowly from her upper back to her lower back. They travelled slowly over her hips until they went even lower to lightly ghost over her behind. She let out a small gasp at his unexpected touch so he quickly removed his hands but she shook her head.

"No…Again…Please," she said between kisses.

"You sure?"

"Yes," she breathed.

They continued to kiss against the wall and he slowly let his hands wander down again. She pushed herself forward into him, needing to feel him everywhere, until she finally felt his hands where she wanted them. Edward let out a small groan as he cupped her cheeks and squeezed lightly. They were entering new territory and Edward never wanted to stop. He continued to let his hands wander up her back then all the way back down again, leaving them on her behind longer and longer every time, loving the way she was responding to his touch.

They continued to kiss and Edward continued to touch until clanking dishes and laughter distracted them.

"God, why does there have to be a house full of people here this afternoon?" Edward complained as he threw his head forward onto her shoulder.

Bella chuckled and kissed the top of his head.

"I should really get back downstairs."

Edward pouted. "We were just getting started."

"Rain check?" she asked with a blush. "We'll continue where we left off tonight."

Edward pouted again. "I want you now."

"You won't want me later?" she asked with a chuckle.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her shoulder again. "You know what I mean."

"I wish I could stay but they're going to start wondering what's taking so long to put a dress on."

Edward groaned and loosened his hold on her waist.

She smiled apologetically. "It's going to be okay. Whatever it is you're thinking about right now…keep thinking it."

He huffed and took a step back before slowly placing her straps back onto her shoulder.

"Alright, go back down there. I'm going to take a cold shower."

"Edward!" she exclaimed as she hit him lightly on the chest.

He laughed. "Nah, I'm joking. But I do need to get dressed."

"Your mom said to wear something nice. If I have to wear a dress you have to wear a suit."

"There's no way I'm wearing a suit. And by the way, I really like this dress."

"Thank you."

"I also really like the piece of clothing you have on under the dress."

Bella blushed and smiled mischievously as an idea popped into her head. "Maybe tonight I'll let you see it," she said with a shrug.

His face turned serious.

"What?" she asked with a smile.

"Really?"

She laughed. "Why are you so serious?"

"Don't joke about something like that!"

She bit her lip as her face flamed red. "I wasn't."

He swallowed audibly. "I…I would like that, very much."

She smiled, her blush still present. "Me too."

He quickly grabbed her face between his palms and he kissed her long and hard.

"Okay, get out of here. I can't think straight anymore."

She laughed, licked her lips, smoothed out her dress and walked out of Edward's bedroom. He watched her as she walked down the stairs and he smirked at how lucky he'd been. He couldn't wait until the day was over.

Bella smiled the whole way down the stairs and paused for a second before entering the kitchen since she didn't want them to know what she had been doing. She straightened her dress again and ran her fingers through her ponytail before stepping into the kitchen.

"Wow! Bella, you look absolutely gorgeous!" Esme exclaimed.

Bella blushed. "Thank you, Esme."

Renee smiled sweetly at her. "You look beautiful, baby girl."

"Thanks, mom."

Bella tried to control her blush but she couldn't. Instead, she settled herself at the kitchen sink and started peeling the multitude of potatoes Esme had taken out.

Shortly after, the doorbell rang and Esme went to answer it. Bella heard high-pitched cries as everyone greeted each other but she couldn't recognize any of the voices she heard. Since she had no idea who was at the door, she remained in the kitchen peeling potatoes, and didn't turn her head until Esme returned with three very attractive guests in tow.

"Bella, Renee, I'd like you to meet some friends of the family. This is Eleazar and Carmen, they're friends of Carlisle's from medical school, and this is their daughter, Tanya."

Eleazar was tall with olive skin and jet-black hair. He was very handsome for an older man and his wife, Carmen, was equally as beautiful. She was tall and thin with that same black hair and olive skin and both their eyes shined dark green. When their daughter, Tanya, stepped into view, Bella could immediately see the relation because she had that same skin tone with those same dark green eyes. Instead of the dark hair, however, Tanya's was long, blond and it hung in curls around her shoulders. She was tall and skinny and wore a tight green dress that hugged her curves perfectly.

"Hello, Bella. It's so nice to meet you," Eleazar said with a kind smile.

"Hello," Bella said as she wiped her hands on a cloth in order to shake everyone's hand.

"Hi, I'm Bella's mother," Renee greeted.

"Eleazar and Carmen are from Chicago," Esme added. "They only visit once a year on Thanksgiving so we're all very excited they're here."

"We're excited as well. And as usual, it smells absolutely delicious in here, Esme," Carmen said.

"Oh, thank you! I'm getting help this year. I'm teaching Bella how to prepare the perfect Thanksgiving feast so she's doing a lot of the work."

Bella smiled shyly and the three guests settled themselves around the kitchen table while Bella continued with the potatoes.

"Where's Carlisle?" Carmen asked.

"Oh, he had to head to the hospital this morning. He called though and he should be home soon."

After getting the guests their drinks, Esme and Renee joined them at the table while Bella stayed at the kitchen sink. The conversation was light and full of laughs and it was all going very well until Tanya spoke her first words.

"So, Esme, where's Edward?"

The tone of Tanya's voice was what made Bella pause. It wasn't a friendly question – one a friend would ask after not having seen someone in a really long time – it was almost…seductive?

"Oh, he's upstairs, dear. He should be down shortly," answered Esme.

"Do you mind if I go up to say…hello?"

Bella clutched the potato peeler tighter in her hand.

"I think he said he was busy, but he said he was going to be down soon," Renee answered, helping her daughter out.

Tanya nodded but the disappointment was eminent on her face.

Bella hadn't been paying much attention to Tanya but after that question, she found herself eyeing the girl any chance she got. She knew Edward and Tanya knew each other but she then started to worry as to just how close they were.

They all continued to chat pleasantly until Edward joined them in the kitchen. He made eye contact with Bella first and he smiled at her as she smiled back. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans that hung low on his hips with a long sleeved white button up shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. He looked absolutely gorgeous and Bella bit her lip at the memory of what she had promised him later that night.

"Edward, my boy! It's so good to see you again!" Eleazar said as he got up to greet him.

"You too, Eleazar. How've you been?"

"I've been busy!"

"Stop hogging all his time, Eleazar! Make room for me!" Carmen exclaimed as she moved in to give Edward a tight hug.

"I missed you too, Carmen," Edward said with a laugh.

Bella watched on as Edward got reacquainted with his parents' friends. She enjoyed his happiness but her smile quickly fell when Tanya got out of her seat and walked slowly toward him.

"Hi, Edward," she said with a smile.

Edward paused for a second as he stared at her and Bella wondered why he did so. "Hey…Tanya…" he answered slowly.

She sauntered up to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Bella quickly turned her head the other way as a sharp pain shot across her chest. Even if the kiss was innocent, it still hurt to watch.

"It's been so long!" Tanya said.

After her kiss, Tanya threw her arms around Edward's neck.

"Edward, Tanya was so excited to see you! We thought we would have to drag her, kicking and screaming but she actually wanted to come this year. She couldn't wait to see you again!" Carmen said.

"I'm sure Edward is just as excited to see her," Esme replied.

Edward gave a small smile and chanced a look at Bella but she had her back to him as she faced the sink.

"Esme! Remember when we used to joke about them getting married when they were younger?" Carmen said with a laugh.

"Oh my goodness! Yes! We wanted them to grow up and fall in love. It would have been so romantic!"

A loud clank turned all eyes on Bella as she accidentally dropped the potato peeler in the sink after hearing Carmen and Esme gush about how badly they had wanted Edward and Tanya together. She muttered an apology and went back to quietly peeling her potatoes but she continued to listen as they went on and on about how perfect Edward and Tanya would be together. The more they talked, the worse Bella felt. All she could think of was how much Esme approved of Edward being with Tanya and how much she disapproved of him being with her.

She hated the feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her she wasn't good enough for Edward. She hated the feeling of having someone else being better for him than her. She thought about Tanya and her perfect skin and beautiful hair and she briefly wondered if anything had ever happened between the two of them.

Then, like running into a brick wall, she remembered.

_Well...there's...Jessica...There's...Lauren...There's this girl Tanya who's a friend of my parents from out of town_

She placed the potato peeler down on the counter beside the sink and stared at it as she remembered the conversation they had the night after their first kiss.

Tanya was one of the girls he'd kissed.

A gut wrenching feeling materialized in the pit of her stomach and she felt the need to leave the room. Edward was now sitting beside Tanya and she was laughing and smiling as she casually touched his arm and Bella didn't want to stand by and watch it all happen before her.

She knew it was in the past. She knew he had kissed her before he had ever met her. But Tanya was so much prettier than she could have ever imagined. She had always compared herself to Jessica and Lauren, both of which were decent looking, but both of which she felt she could compete with. But against Tanya, she was nothing. Tanya was absolutely flawless. Her skin was perfectly smooth, not a single hair on her head was out of place, she was tall and lean, with perfect white teeth – very much the opposite of both Jessica and Lauren, and definitely the opposite of Bella.

She chanced another look at them and saw Tanya's hand on Edward's leg. She felt a strong urge to throw up so she excused herself abruptly and walked toward the bathroom.

When she got there, she quickly locked the door and stared at herself in the mirror. Her dress no longer seemed as pretty as it did earlier and her cheeks were red and blotchy from blushing. It was ridiculous for her to react in that manner but she couldn't help herself. She couldn't bear the pain of seeing another girl's hands all over Edward while his mom talked about how perfect that girl would be for him. She couldn't bear the pain of watching and listening and not being able to say anything – not being able to do anything.

It took her a few minutes to calm down but the more she stood alone in the bathroom, the worse her thoughts were becoming. After taking a few deep breaths, she redid her hair, smoothed down her dress, retied her belt, and headed back toward the kitchen.

Her mother and Edward were the only ones who noticed her quick departure and they both had worried expressions on their faces. She gave them a small, insincere smile as she stared at the ground while walking back to the sink.

Luckily, the topic of discussion had shifted away from Edward and Tanya and toward Carmen and Eleazar's practice in Chicago so Bella was able to calm down a little. Tanya's hands were no longer on Edward's leg so she took a deep breath and focused on cutting the potatoes she had peeled.

When Bella was all done, Esme asked everyone to move into the living room where everyone could sit more comfortably. Eleazar and Carmen sat on the loveseat, Esme and Renee on the single chairs beside it, and Edward, Bella, and Tanya on the long couch opposite it.

Bella felt a little uncomfortable sitting next to Edward and Tanya, but she sat down anyways and fiddled with the hem of her dress. She was momentarily comforted when Edward lightly stroked her arm with his fingers where no one could see. He looked at her and smiled and she couldn't help but smile back but the second Tanya started talking, Bella dropped her head and her smile disappeared.

"So, are you excited to graduate this year?" Tanya asked.

Edward sighed and turned to answer her.

"Yeah, I guess," he said with a small shrug.

Tanya continued to talk and Bella didn't say a word. She sat there quietly, every once in a while comforted by Edward's gentle touch, but it was the fact that it was done in private – the fact that nobody saw and nobody knew – that made everything so much worse. He could talk and say whatever he wanted to Tanya. He could even kiss her if he wanted to, but with Bella it all boiled down to small smiles, covered touches, and secret make out sessions.

Edward was trying to do whatever he could to comfort Bella because he knew she was bothered by the situation with Tanya. He didn't know if she remembered him telling her about Tanya but he figured that based on her behavior, she had. He hated that there wasn't anything he could do about it. He couldn't take Bella upstairs and apologize and convince her that he didn't care about Tanya. He couldn't say all the things he wanted to say because there was a room full of people who were convinced that he was free to do whatever he wanted with Tanya.

When Tanya got up to go to the bathroom, he breathed a sigh of relief and waited until she rounded the corner before turning toward Bella.

"Thank God," he whispered so no one but Bella could hear.

She gave him a small smile, still staring down at her hands.

"I guess you remember me telling you about Tanya?" Edward whispered.

Bella nodded. He looked around, making sure no one was paying attention to him, and when he was satisfied, he leaned in closer.

"I didn't know she was coming today. Eleazar and Carmen come down every year but they've only brought Tanya like two or three times."

Bella nodded again but never met his eyes. She kept her head down as she spoke her next words. "She likes you," she said with a small shrug.

"Tanya? Nah, she's just talkative."

Bella took a deep breath but once again kept her head down. "She keeps…talking to you and touching you…and smiling and laughing…"

"Don't pay attention to that stuff, Bella. That's how she is. She even has a boyfriend, she's just being…flirty."

When she didn't say anything, he spoke up again. "Please don't be upset, okay?" he whispered as he allowed a finger to gently stroke her arm again.

"I'm not upset. It just…it sucks sitting here not being able to talk to you."

"But, you can talk to me. In fact, you should talk to me. That way I can talk to you too. That way I can turn and face you. That way she can't talk to me! She's really annoying you know, she hasn't stopped talking since I came downstairs."

"I know," she mumbled.

"Oh, God, she's coming back. Just…please...please don't be upset, okay? I'll explain everything later."

She nodded again and Tanya plopped herself down, once again next to Edward.

"So, where were we?" Tanya asked, her voice laced with excitement.

Edward didn't even have a chance to respond before she was talking again. She went on and on about all her plans for her senior year. Bella tried not to pay attention to her but since she was sitting beside them, she didn't really have much of a choice. She did however appreciate the fact that Edward didn't seem all that interested in what Tanya was saying.

Bella thought about jumping into the conversation and turning the topic toward her so Edward could face her and turn his back to Tanya but she simply couldn't think of anything to say. She tried to ignore any past Edward and Tanya may have had. She tried to smile and enjoy the day but it hurt her to know she couldn't be how she wanted to be with Edward. She wanted to sit next to him on the couch and hold his hand while he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She wanted him to play with her hair and make her laugh. She didn't want him sitting next to her, head turned, while he caught up with an old friend who happened to be a beautiful blond he may have kissed more than once.

She even wondered what else they had done together but she quickly forced that thought out of her mind since it was easily going to make her physically ill.

As the afternoon wore on, Bella was able to preoccupy herself in the kitchen. The turkey was still cooking but there was still plenty for her to do. She even asked Esme if she could bake a pie since she really didn't want to return to the living room. Esme agreed and Bella started on the pie, which turned out to be a nice distraction. As she was focused on slicing the apples, Edward stepped into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her, once again telling her how sorry he was for Tanya. Bella smiled and because she had calmed herself down, she told him not to worry and that she was just being silly.

He ended up staying with her in the kitchen the whole time she made the pie and having him to herself put the smile right back on her face. When she was all done, they headed back to the living room together and joined Tanya on the couch again.

Carlisle arrived shortly after and he made his rounds, giving hugs and kisses and wishing everyone a happy thanksgiving before heading upstairs to shower and change.

When Charlie arrived, Bella was glad for another distraction so she greeted him at the door, even giving him a hug as she wished him a happy thanksgiving.

"Aw, jeez, thanks, Bells. I brought someone for you."

"You brought some_one_ for me?"

"Yeah, I think you're going to be happy to see him."

"_Him_?"

Charlie stepped inside and behind him was a boy her age. He was darker skinned and had long black hair that fell to his shoulders. He seemed younger but the second he saw her, his mouth broke into the most infectious of smiles and she couldn't help but stare at his beautiful white teeth.

"Hey, Bells, remember me?"

* * *

**Next chapter should be interesting! The kidnapping flashback will be with Part 2 which should be up by this time next week.**

**I want to apologize for my posting schedule being all thrown off. The weekly updates are getting a little difficult now...but thank you for being patient!**


	24. Chapter 21 Part 2

******Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.**  
**

Big ginormous thanks goes out to **SabLuvsLogan **this week...like...big. ginormous. thanks.

**This is Part Two!**

**

* * *

**

_PREVIOUSLY_

* * *

"_You brought someone for me?"_

"_Yeah, I think you're going to be happy to see him."_

"_Him?"_

_Charlie stepped inside and behind him was a boy her age. He was darker skinned and had long black hair that fell to his shoulders. He seemed younger but the second he saw her, his mouth broke into the most infectious of smiles and she couldn't help but stare at his beautiful white teeth._

"_Hey, Bells, remember me?" he asked, that same grin plastered to his face._

**

* * *

**

Chapter 21 – Part Two

* * *

Bella bit her lip nervously since she had no idea who the boy standing in front of her was.

"Bells, this is Jake, you two used to hang out when you were little," Charlie introduced.

Bella smiled but she scrunched her eyebrows, notifying Charlie that she didn't remember him. "You don't recognize him?" Charlie asked, shocked.

Bella shook her head no as she gave Jake an apologetic smile. "Come on! You two were inseparable!"

Bella still hadn't recognized the boy so Charlie paused, trying to think of how to get her to remember.

"I can't believe you don't remember this kid," he said as he threw his arm around Jake's shoulder. "He's Billy's son!"

At the mention of Billy, Bella's eyes grew wide and her hand came up to her chest as she remembered. "Oh my Gosh! Yeah, I totally remember you now!"

Jake grinned and took a step forward before scooping her up into a tight bear hug, lifting her from the ground for a few seconds.

"You had me nervous for a second there! I know it's been a long time but I hoped I left at least a little bit of an impression," Jake said, that same grin plastered to his face.

"I'm so sorry!" she said with a laugh. "You've changed a lot since you were four, you know?"

"That's no excuse! I was like eight the last time you saw me!"

Bella laughed and smiled at him. It had been so long since she'd last seen Jacob Black and she felt absolutely terrible for not recognizing him sooner.

"Is Billy coming too?" she asked.

"Nah, he's visiting my sister and wasn't able to make it back in time," Jacob replied.

"Oh, that's too bad. It would have been nice seeing him again."

Jacob was about to tell her it was no big deal but Esme interrupted his reply.

"Charlie! Welcome! Happy Thanksgiving!"

"Hey, Esme," Charlie said as he took off his jacket and shoes. "I hope you don't mind, I brought Jacob along with me. He was going to spend Thanksgiving alone and I figured you always have more than enough food."

"Yes, yes, of course, there's plenty for everyone!" she said with excitement. "It's very nice to meet you, Jacob. I promise we'll keep you entertained!"

Jacob laughed and Esme smiled before leading them toward the living room to join the rest of the guests.

"Everyone, this is Charlie, Bella's father, and Jacob, a friend of theirs. Charlie, this is Eleazar and Carmen, they're from Chicago, visiting, and this is their daughter, Tanya."

Everyone shook hands in greeting while Bella returned to her spot on the couch. She sat down next to Edward and when Jacob was finished with all the introductions, he placed his chair on the other side of her.

"So, Bells, how've you been?" he asked with a smile.

"I've been good, you?" she said as she turned away from Edward and toward Jacob.

"Great. I've been meaning to come visit but I never really knew when would be the best time."

"Oh, don't worry about it. Hey, why don't I see you at Forks High? How old are you now anyways?"

"I'm sixteen. And you don't see me there because I don't go there," he said with a laugh. "I go to school on the reservation."

"Oh," she replied with a nod. "That makes sense."

Jacob shrugged.

"How is La Push anyways? I remember loving it there during the summer but I can hardly even remember what it looks like anymore."

"It's good, same as always. You should come visit. Charlie always comes by, you should join him next time."

"Yeah, maybe I will."

She smiled and Jake smiled back.

Over the next half hour, they talked and reminisced and Bella found herself momentarily forgetting about the whole Tanya situation.

Edward however, didn't like it one bit. He had no idea who Jacob was or even where he came from but he hated the way he was making Bella laugh. Her cheeks were pink and her smile was wide as Jacob joked around and teased her. He listened closely to their conversation – wanting to know what they were talking about – and even though it was all fairly innocent, he was still bothered by their past relationship.

"So, Bells, you finally remember Jake?" Charlie asked, interrupting Edward's thoughts.

"Yeah, I do!"

"So does that mean you're going to come with me now when we go fishing?"

"Umm, no," Bella said with a laugh.

"Come on!" Jake pleaded. "We always have so much fun!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you do. I just have a different idea of what's fun."

Jake laughed. "Well, we can always do something else to have fun. While they go fishing, we can… go watch a movie or something."

Edward's head whipped to the left as he sat frozen, staring at Jacob.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. She would probably enjoy that more," Charlie replied.

Edward's head snapped to the right as he stared at Charlie.

The afternoon had made a sudden turn for the worst and Edward sat dumbfounded, not being able to process what he was hearing. Instead of Charlie preventing his daughter from dating, he was actually encouraging it.

Edward was completely stunned.

The longer he sat frozen, the more offended he was becoming since he knew Charlie would never suggest something similar for him and Bella. The realization hurt and he wondered what Jacob had that he didn't. What was it about Jacob that made Charlie trust him with his daughter?

Edward's jealousy quickly turned to anger because he had never given Charlie a reason to not trust him. He had done nothing but treat Bella with utmost respect yet her father trusted her in the hands of an almost complete stranger over him.

He was beyond upset and all he wanted to do was storm out of the room.

* * *

The afternoon wore on and Edward's jealousy prevailed. Tanya kept talking to him but he was too focused on Bella and Jacob to really listen to what she was saying. He distantly heard his name being called but it wasn't until Tanya hit him on the shoulder that he turned to face her.

"What?"

"I asked you if you agreed with me."

"Oh…sorry…I didn't hear you."

Tanya's face fell but she repeated her question nonetheless and Edward sighed as he turned to face her.

When Bella got up to help Esme get everything settled in the kitchen, Edward breathed a sigh of relief. He looked over at Jacob then and saw as he stared at Bella's retreating figure and he had to control his urge to hit him.

Bella however, had been completely oblivious to Edward's anger. Esme had taken the turkey out of the oven and Carlisle had helped her carve it as she placed it neatly into a silver dish and decorated it with herbs, carrots and potatoes. As she was putting the finishing touches on everything, Bella finished setting the table.

"Alright, the table is all set. Is everything ready in here or do you need me to do anything else?"

"No, I think we're good to go. I need to add name cards to the table so everyone knows where they're sitting but that's all."

"Oh, do you want me to do that?" Bella offered.

"No, no, it's fine. You've done enough."

Bella nodded and headed back to the living room to sit between Edward and Jacob, catching them mid-conversation.

"Why? What car do you drive?" Edward asked with a frown.

"Check it out," Jacob said as he pointed to the window toward a black truck.

"It looks old," Edward said.

"It's in perfect condition. I work on it whenever I get the chance. I worked on Bella's truck too, you know. I'm the one who got it running again."

"Yeah…too bad she doesn't drive it."

Having missed the beginning of the conversation, Bella found herself confused. It seemed as if they were fighting but they weren't raising their voices or glaring at each other. To an onlooker, they both appeared calm and collected but their tone and body language implied that their words were meant to hurt.

"You don't drive your truck, Bells?" Jacob asked sadly as he looked down at her.

Bella felt terrible. "Oh…well…I do. Just not often…but…I do. At least twice a week."

Jacob scrunched his eyebrows. "You don't take it to school?"

"We carpool," Bella said with a shrug.

"I drive her everywhere she needs to go," Edward stated.

"Well…that's very nice of you. Maybe you can drive her to the reservation some day," Jacob replied with a smirk.

"I doubt it," Edward said as he stared into Jake's eyes.

Bella turned to look at Edward, her features showing her confusion but he just smiled at her. She didn't understand what was going on between them and before she could ask, Esme appeared in the doorway, announcing dinner.

"Alright, I put name cards down on every plate, so find where you're supposed to be and have a seat," she announced as everyone entered the dining room.

Edward knew exactly where he was supposed to sit so he took his seat like he did every time they had guests over. He expected Bella to sit next to him but when Tanya settled herself beside him, he scrunched his eyebrows and glanced at the name card on her plate. Tanya's name was written in elegant script and he realized it wasn't a mistake. He looked up at Esme but she was busy making sure everyone was taking their seats so she didn't see the confusion on his face.

He sighed and searched for Bella next and when his eyes connected with hers, he noticed her staring at Tanya's spot. She looked almost defeated so Edward tried to mouth an 'I'm sorry' to her but she quickly looked away, searching for where she was supposed to sit.

"Come on, Bells. You're next to me!" Jacob exclaimed.

Edward's head turned to the left and he watched as Bella slowly sat down next to Jacob. When she looked up, she saw the frown on Edward's face and she realized they were both in the same situation. She smiled slightly knowing Edward actually wanted to sit next to her but she still felt that same churn in her stomach upon realizing she would have to spend the entire meal watching Tanya flirt with him.

"Alright! Carlisle, a toast?" Esme said.

"Of course, dear," Carlisle said with a smile as he stood up, grabbing his wine glass and instructing everyone to do the same. He gave a short speech, thanking Esme and Bella for the meal and thanking the guests for traveling such a long distance to join them.

Everyone toasted and clinked their glasses before taking a sip and filling their plates.

Edward and Bella spent the entire meal eyeing each other while no one was looking. She would scoop mashed potatoes into her mouth and let her eyes drift toward his and he would meet her stare and smile back.

As they continued to eat, she found herself desperately wanting to know if he was enjoying the food. She looked up at him, waiting for him to make eye contact but all she found was Tanya's arm pressed right against his as he smiled at something Carlisle had said. With a frown firmly affixed to her face, she looked back down at her plate.

"So, Edward, my boy. Have you snagged yourself a girl yet?" Eleazar asked.

Edward chuckled and shook his head. "Who's interested?"

"I am! Your father worries about you, you know?"

"I do not!" Carlisle interjected.

"I'm sure Edward has girls throwing themselves at him all day long!" Renee teased.

"Oh, I don't doubt it! We have a picture of you on our mantle back home. You should see Tanya's friends! They go crazy for you! Who's this boy, Mr Denali? Can you introduce me?"

Edward chuckled.

"It's true, Edward," Carmen added. "They can't get enough of that photo. One of them even stole it once."

Edward grimaced.

"Don't worry, I usually just tell them you're my ex and they back off," Tanya said with a smile and a stroke to his arm.

Edward gave her a small smile as he scrunched his eyebrows while Bella sat with a confused look, wondering why she was calling him her ex.

"They're so jealous that Tanya gets to spend these days with you. We had to put out foot down this year since they all wanted to come with us!" Carmen said.

"You should have invited them!" Esme replied. "We have plenty of food!"

"Edward would have loved that," Carlisle said with a laugh.

"It's good to have choices!" Eleazar joked.

"What about college, Edward? Do you know where you'll be applying?" Carmen inquired.

"Harvard," Carlisle answered proudly for his son.

"I'm not going to Harvard, dad," Edward said with a small laugh. "I really don't know yet. To be honest I haven't even been thinking about it."

"You haven't been thinking about it?" Tanya asked. "You have to apply soon. You should know where you want to go."

"What do you mean you're not going to Harvard?" Carlisle asked, ignoring Tanya.

"I don't know where I'm going, dad," Edward said as he chanced a peak at Bella.

She was staring at him and he knew exactly what she was thinking. Things were different now. With everything going on with them, college had been the last thing on their mind.

"You've always wanted to go to Harvard," Carlisle said, confusion lacing his tone.

"_You_ always wanted me to go there."

"But you loved it when we visited the campus."

"Dad, I was really young when we went there. It was huge and it looked cool. Things are different now and I don't know where I'm going. Don't worry, I'll figure it out. You'll be the first I tell, I promise."

"What about you, Bella?" Esme asked.

"Oh…umm…I don't know either," she replied.

"I don't get it! That's all we talk about back home!" Tanya said.

"Well, here we talk about other things," Bella blurted.

Bella didn't know why she talked back like that but she couldn't bring herself to regret it. She had shocked everyone in the room with her tone and even though Tanya was staring at her, Bella simply straightened herself in her seat and took a small sip of water.

The topic of conversation thankfully drifted away from Edward and Bella as the adults started to reminisce about their time in college. Edward chanced another look at Bella then and he smirked at the blush that adorned her face.

When they were all done with dinner, Bella helped Esme collect all the plates and offered to do the dishes while she prepared the fruit and desert. Everyone else remained in the dining room, moaning and groaning over all the food they had consumed.

"You hear that?" Esme asked with a grin.

"They sound like they're in pain," Bella said.

"That's my favorite sound in the world!"

Bella let out a loud laugh as Esme smiled.

"What? It means my job is done and I succeeded."

Bella laughed again. "It was all wonderful, Esme."

"Oh, thank you, dear. You were a big help this year."

Bella smiled and continued to load the dishwasher while Esme got out the fruit plates and placed Bella's pie in the oven.

While the pie was still warming up, Esme and Bella returned to the dining room, and everyone dug into the large platter of fruit.

"So, Bells, what do you think of Jake? Has he changed?"

Edward's head slowly lifted at the strange question and he waited anxiously for Bella to answer.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, I guess he has. He has the same face, though," she said as she turned to look at him. "And your hair is longer."

Jake laughed. "Yeah, you look the same too. You're a lot prettier though."

Edward's jaw clenched as he stared at Jacob while Bella blushed and looked down at her lap.

"Bella is beautiful," Renee said with a smile.

"She sure is!" Charlie said.

Edward wasn't listening to anything they were saying since all he could concentrate on was Jacob Black and how much he wanted him gone. He hated that he'd made Bella blush and that he'd called her pretty.

He couldn't stop staring at Jacob and in that moment he hated everything about him. He hated his ridiculous long hair, his extremely white teeth, the way he talked to Bella, his laugh, the tight black t-shirt he was wearing, everything.

As everyone continued talking and laughing, Edward alternated between eating his fruit and glaring at Jacob. Bella was laughing at Jacob's jokes, and they teased each other back and forth, all of which was sending Edward into a tailspin of jealousy.

He realized then that he understood exactly what she had been upset about earlier in the day. Edward was forced to watch Bella with Jacob just like she had been forced to watch him with Tanya. The strange thing was that Bella never seemed angry – she seemed sad. Edward however wasn't sad in the least that Jacob was making her laugh and blush – he was pissed. The day had been going so well until Charlie arrived but now Jacob was acting like he was Bella's new best friend and it wasn't settling well with Edward at all.

Edward had been so preoccupied with his anger toward Jacob, he didn't even notice his mother getting up to serve the pie until a plate with a warm piece and a scoop of ice cream was placed in front of him.

He looked up and let the smell waft his senses as he recalled watching Bella slicing the apples. He remembered her tossing in the cinnamon and he desperately wanted to go back to that moment. He wanted to return to being alone in the room with his arms wrapped around her, worry free.

He wanted to go back to a moment without Tanya's insistent voice annoying him with her boring stories - a moment where Jacob had yet to arrive.

He put his jealousy aside temporarily as he dug into the delicious looking desert, holding back a moan at the wonderful taste.

"Oh my goodness, Bella, this is absolutely amazing!" Carmen gushed.

Everybody ranted and raved about the pie and Bella smiled at having pleased everyone. She chanced a look at Edward who had already finished his piece and her smile turned into a grin, knowing he'd enjoyed it. His eyes connected with hers then and he gave her thumbs up as she mouthed a 'thank you'.

He continued to stare at her as she sat, quietly enjoying her pie, and he smiled at how perfect she was. Her jaw was moving slowly as she chewed her food and her eyelashes rested on her pink tinted cheeks. He allowed his eyes to rake down her neck to the small amount of cleavage she was showing and he smiled at the thought of them being alone later that night.

Bella could feel Edward watching her so she slowly raised her eyes to his as she licked the ice cream off her lips. His glare was smoldering and she smiled as she brought her thumb up to wipe the corner of her mouth. They were staring at each other, both wanting to be closer to the other, when Bella's bra strap fell down her shoulder to rest on her upper arm.

She eyed it before seeing if Edward had noticed and she smirked as he stared at it. She could practically read his thoughts and since she loved the look on his face, she waited a few seconds before fixing it. She let the midnight blue rest against her upper arm as if she couldn't feel it but when Edward's face turned murderous, she followed his eyesight.

Edward loved the small peak at Bella's bra but when he saw Jacob staring at it, he wanted to lunge across the table and cover her from head to toe. Jacob was staring at the bra as he shifted in his seat and Edward had to fight hard to control his breathing.

As soon as Bella noticed, she quickly grabbed her strap and placed it back on her shoulder, breaking Jacob's stare, but not Edward's anger.

* * *

Later that night, everyone sat in the living room conversing lightly and digesting their food. They all thanked Esme for the wonderful meal and she continued to pass the compliments off to Bella.

"So, Edward, did you and Tanya make any plans to visit each other?" Esme started.

"So, Bella, are you and Jake going to watch that movie?" Charlie asked.

Esme and Charlie both spoke at the same time, resulting in Edward and Bella both looking up. They found the line of questioning extremely strange and that's when they realized exactly what was happening.

Esme and Charlie laughed nervously as they exchanged a worried glance and they both tried to cover their tracks but it was too late – Edward and Bella had already put two and two together.

They sat side by side and when they both turned to look at each other, they couldn't believe what their parents had done.

Tanya and Jacob had been invited for a reason. They had purposely been asked to come to keep Bella and Edward apart. Bella spent dinner next to Jacob and Edward spent it next to Tanya because they were being set up. They sat at opposite ends of the table so they wouldn't be able to talk to each other, but with their parent's match.

It was all a plot. The anger soared through them both as they shot their parents a menacing glare.

They could have had an amazing thanksgiving enjoying each other's company, but instead they were forced to spend the whole day apart.

Edward let out a low laugh as he shook his head and Bella stared at Charlie knowing it was all his idea.

"I can't believe this," Edward said in an almost whisper.

"What?" Esme asked.

"I can't believe this," Edward repeated, louder.

He got up then, shaking his head and turned to Bella. "Let's get out of here."

She looked up at her father and the look in his eyes told her that they'd been caught. She looked down at her lap then back at Edward before getting up and following him out the door.

"Bella, wait," Charlie said as he got up.

But Bella didn't stop. She was so upset and offended and she needed to get out of there to clear her head. She couldn't even look at her father and as he continued to call her name, she ran even faster out the door and toward Edward's car.

* * *

"I can't believe them! Honestly. I. Can't. Believe. Them," Edward yelled into the woods.

Bella stood quietly to the side.

"They did it on purpose. They separated us because they wanted us to see what it was like spending one night away from each other. They're such fucking…parents."

Bella remained quiet.

"They're such assholes. They did that because they know. They know there's something going on between us and they're trying to make us fall for different people."

Bella watched him as he now circled the open area of the meadow, ranting in anger. She wanted to join him but she wasn't angry. She didn't have the rage that coursed through Edward's veins – she had the grief. She wasn't angry that their parents were so against them being together, she was saddened by it.

Why was it such a bad thing?

Why was it so forbidden?

Their parents didn't know anything about their relationship and they didn't even care.

"They stooped so fucking low tonight, Bella. They planned this! They planned to invite Tanya and Jacob so we could talk to other people. Did you hear them? All day! Ever since Tanya showed up it was Tanya this, Tanya that. Oh, Edward, you and Tanya, blah blah!" He kicked the open air as he vented his frustration. "And then Jacob shows up and it's all, oh Jacob, you and Bella are so perfect together, you have so much in common!"

Bella wanted to speak up and calm him down but she didn't have anything to say. Everything he was saying was true but she was hurt that their parents would do such a thing.

"We should disappear. We should freak them the fuck out. We shouldn't go back for like a week and show them that it's not fucking okay to do that shit."

Bella's head snapped up and she spoke for the first time since they left the house. "We can't do that, Edward." Her voice was low and raspy. "It would kill them and they would never let us out of the house again."

Edward sighed and took a deep breath before answering. "I know. I didn't mean it. I'm just…pissed."

He took another deep breath and slowly approached her. When he was in front of her, she placed her hand on his cheek while giving him a small smile and he was able to calm down from her touch. He exhaled and grabbed her hand as he led her toward the middle of the meadow where he sat down and placed her between his outstretched legs. She leaned her back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Today was a disaster," he muttered.

"Agreed."

There was a short pause as they enjoyed each other's comfort while overlooking the sun sinking lower on the river.

"I'm sorry about Tanya," he whispered.

Bella didn't say anything but she laid her head on his shoulder, which told him she was accepting his apology.

"Can you tell me about her?" she asked softly.

"What do you want to know?"

"What's your history?"

Edward took a deep breath.

"Eleazar and Carmen come down every year for Thanksgiving. One year, they brought Tanya and we were like six so we played together or whatever. I guess we had fun…I was a kid, right? As long as I didn't have to sit around the table with the adults, I was happy. The next time they brought her, I didn't even remember her, I was I think ten or something. We were both at an awkward stage so we didn't do much. We talked but she stayed with her parents, I stayed with mine. The third time she came she was…older…and so was I…and she was very…forward, you know? I was upstairs in my room and she came up and one thing led to another…and we made out a little. But then she left and I never saw her again until today."

"She wanted to start up where you left off?"

"I guess so."

Bella turned her head to look at him before asking her next question. "So…all you guys did was…kiss?"

Edward looked at her and scrunched his eyebrows. "Yeah, that's all that happened. Eventually dessert was ready and she went back downstairs. It wasn't a big deal at all. She was a girl and she wanted to kiss me. That was like…amazing to me then."

Bella nodded. "She's really pretty."

"She's alright. I prefer brunettes," he whispered as he nudged her neck with his nose.

She smiled and they turned their heads back to the river.

"What about Jacob?" Edward asked after a short pause.

"What about him?"

"What's your history?"

Bella turned to look at him with a smile. "I used to visit Charlie when I was younger during the summer. When Charlie used to hang out with Billy, I would tag along and I would play with Jacob on the beach while they did other things. I had completely forgotten about him until tonight. He really is a nice guy though."

"Mmhmm," Edward muttered.

Bella chuckled. "He's just nice, Edward. I'm not interested in him."

"Well your dad seems to think you guys are soul mates."

"Don't listen to my dad."

Edward paused and when he spoke again, his voice was low and sounded hurt.

"Why do you think he's so against us? Why doesn't he want me to be with you? I…I care for you more than I care for myself…how can he not…how am I not good enough? How am I not…perfect for you?"

Bella hated the sound of his voice so she twisted a little to really look at him.

"It's not anything he has against you, Edward. He does trust you. Everyone trusts you. It's me. He thinks I'm too damaged to make any reasonable decisions. He thinks anything I feel for you isn't real. And there's no way to convince him otherwise."

"I want to prove it to him, you know? I want to prove it to everyone. I want everyone to watch me as I hold your hand and make you smile. I want them to see how I can make you laugh when you're sad and how I can comfort you when you're scared. I want to show the world, Bella."

"You don't need to show the world, Edward. I know and it's all that matters."

Edward smiled and leaned over to place his lips on hers in a soft kiss.

"Bella…I'm tired of being…nervous around other guys. I'm tired of seeing you with someone else and feeling like you can do whatever you want with them because you have no obligation to me. And the only reason it's like that is because of our…stupid…parents."

"You don't ever have to be nervous, Edward."

"But I do. When you were talking to Jimmy and you were laughing and smiling, I kept thinking…there is absolutely nothing stopping her from going out with him. And it was the same thing today with Jacob. What we have isn't…official…we haven't set any rules so you're free to do whatever you want."

He straightened up and swung his leg around so he was facing her. "Bella, I want to ask you something, okay?"

She looked into his eyes and nodded.

"I want to be…together."

Bella scrunched her eyebrows. "We are together."

"No, like…together together."

"I don't get it."

"Bella, I want you to be…mine."

"Edward, I am yours. I'm not interested in anyone else."

"No, Bella." Edward sighed and shook his head. "Why don't you understand what I'm saying?" he said with a huff.

She remained quiet as she stared at him.

"Bella, I want you to be my…girlfriend. Officially."

Bella heard the words but she remained silent and still.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Officially?" she choked.

"Yeah," he said with a nod. "What do you say?"

Bella's mouth slowly turned up into a smile until it was a full on grin.

"I want to be your girlfriend," she said before throwing her arms around his neck.

He smiled and grabbed the back of her head as he plastered his lips to hers.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes!" she said before kissing him again.

She was practically in his lap as they kissed again and he wrapped his arms completely around her as they hugged.

"So…what does this mean?" Bella asked when she sat back down in front of him.

"It means you're mine. No more flirting with guys at the gym and boys with long hair."

"I wasn't flirting!"

"You totally were."

"Well you're not allowed to flirt with beautiful blondes!"

"I wasn't flirting."

Bella smiled and he smiled back.

She bit her lip then. "So…now what?"

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "We're not hiding it anymore. At school, I want to hold your hand and kiss you and tell Mike Newton to fuck off for good."

Bella chuckled. "And I get to do the same for Jessica and Lauren?"

"Yep!"

They leaned forward and kissed again.

"What about…our parents?" Bella whispered between kisses.

"Well…I plan on having an extremely long conversation with mine about what they did tonight, and you should probably do the same with Charlie."

Bella nodded. "Yeah…definitely. There will be yelling and screaming on my part."

Edward smiled. "Definitely. Maybe we don't have to outright tell them we're together, but we need to make it clear that they have no say whatsoever in what we choose to do."

Bella nodded. "Yeah…besides I'm pretty sure they've figured it out if they tried to pull something like what they did tonight."

Edward nodded. "We've been so careful though."

"I know," Bella said.

"It's probably cause you're always touching me. You need to learn to control yourself, you know?"

"Me?" she asked in shock. "You're the one always touching me!"

"Nuh uh!" Edward said.

Bella laughed and he leaned over to kiss her. The kiss was meant to be chaste and sweet but Bella was having none of that as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips more firmly against his.

Neither knew or cared why but the kiss quickly escalated. Edward's hands were everywhere and Bella was tugging and pulling at his hair as he worked her bottom lip and she his upper one.

"Do you remember what you promised me this morning?" Edward said, panting between kisses.

"I never made any promises," Bella replied with a smirk.

Edward pulled away and pouted.

Bella laughed and moved forward to kiss him again. "Yes, of course I remember."

"Good," he said as he kissed her again and started to slowly push her backward until she was lying flat on her back with him hovering above her.

He pressed his whole body against hers and she sighed at the feel of his warmth. He let his tongue drag down her jaw toward her neck as he peppered her skin with wet kisses. She moved her head to the side and gave him all the access he needed.

He started to move his hips against hers and Bella needed to restrain herself from crying out. Everything felt so good. The combination of his mouth and tongue on her neck, of his right hand on her waist, and of his hardness against her leg, it was enough to have her writhing and wanting so much. They weren't doing anything outrageous, as Edward had to mentally talk himself out of dry humping her even though he wanted to more than anything. As things started to get more and more heated, Bella felt Edward's hand slowly rise from her leg to her waist. It was painfully slow and when he reached her waist, he slowly let his hand slide even higher until it was stopped right under her left breast. She could feel his fingers on the underwire of her bra and she knew what he wanted to do.

She didn't want to speak the words to him but she knew he was waiting for her to give him the okay. She nudged her chest up at him and his hand twitched. Through the thin layer of her dress, his warm hand was practically burning a hole on her ribs. She kept pushing forward, needing him to bring his hand up. He was hesitant though because he knew once he started he wouldn't stop. He badly wanted to know what it would feel like to palm her. He wanted to feel her nipple between his fingers and even more so between his teeth and lips.

"Edward, please," she moaned.

She was begging him so he acquiesced. He let his hand travel upward until he was cupping her breast and it felt so good, so perfect that he let out the smallest of groans.

"Bella," he whispered.

It fit so perfectly in his hand that he went all out and massaged and caressed as she moaned beneath him. His lips never left her body and when he started to play with her hardened nipple through the fabric, his lips started to become a little more aggressive against her skin until he was full on sucking the skin of her collarbone.

His mouth moved to the spot behind her ear and she let out another loud moan. He smiled and continued to palm her breast, doing everything he could possibly think of because she was being so responsive.

When his hand slowly moved down and away toward her waist, she practically sighed in disappointment but Edward merely ground his hips into hers and everything was okay again. As his mouth returned to hers, their tongues connected and Bella slipped her hands under his shirt in order to feel every inch of skin on his back.

Edward's fingers ghosted over her arms and shoulders as he slowly moved her right dress strap down. They stopped kissing and Edward hovered above her as they stared at each other. There were no sounds other than the soft air moving through the trees. They were completely alone and completely safe. His eyes slowly moved toward her other shoulder as he slipped the other dress strap down.

She was breathing heavily because she knew what was happening but she wasn't nervous – she was excited. Edward's movements were slow and gentle and she lay there, watching him as he discovered more skin.

"The zipper is on the side," she whispered.

His fingers found the zipper and he held it between his thumb and forefinger before slowly bringing it down to her waist. He kissed her again, slow and sweet, before swallowing audibly and pulling the top half of her dress down.

When the tops of her breasts appeared he took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the sight before him. He bent his head forward and kissed the skin above the blue lace fabric before sliding the dress down further.

When her dress was resting right beneath her breasts, he took a second to simply stare at her body. He watched them rise and fall with her heavy breathing and he licked his lips in anticipation.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded slowly.

"Are you cold?"

"No," she whispered.

"Is this…alright?"

"Yes."

His lips connected with hers again before he made his way slowly down her jaw, down her neck, and across her collarbones as his hand made its way over her bra-clad breast. His ministrations were the same as earlier as he massaged and teased but this time around Bella could feel everything and she never wanted him to stop.

He kissed her above the material before lightly grabbing her nipple between his teeth. She let out another moan at the feeling and Edward pressed his erection against her thigh, needing to feel some sort of friction.

He pulled his hand away from her breast and his fingers fidgeted with the material on her ribs. Staring into her eyes as he reached for the material, he slowly moved it down her body, until it rested, bunched on her hips. Her entire upper body was bare to him and he once again gave himself a second to appreciate the view.

He started at her collarbones and loved the way her smooth skin clashed against the dark blue of her bra. He had waited so long to see her wearing it and it had all been worth it. As his eyes moved down her torso, he noticed the long scar that ran from her left rib, down to her right hipbone.

When she noticed what he was looking at, her hands instinctively came up to hide it from view, but Edward caught her hands in his.

"Don't. Please," he whispered as he placed her hands beside her.

She took a deep breath and she watched as he slowly lifted his hand over her stomach. He was hesitant at first but he finally let his fingers ghost over the long scar as he traced it from her rib to her hip. Bella let out a deep breath and Edward removed his fingers to replace them with his mouth as he bent his head down and kissed the scar. It was growing more faint with each passing day. It didn't ruin her body in the least, but he knew where it came from and how preventable it had been.

**

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_Bella stood shocked as Edward tackled James to the ground. James had been caught completely off guard so the force Edward put into his tackle practically wounded him. Edward took advantage of the situation as he pinned James to the ground, punching him as hard as he could, square in the jaw. He had never punched someone before and the force to his hand hurt him more than it should have but he didn't care._

_He had had enough._

_He pulled his arm back again and gave James another punch to the face as his anger pushed him forward and gave him the force he needed to continue. A third punch was all James needed to snap out of his slight paralysis so he quickly pushed himself upward, knocking Edward onto his back. James' fist crashed against Edward's left eye before pulling back and laying his fist into his ribs. Edward's knees were forced upward from the impact and he coughed in pain as Bella watched in agony. She was so afraid for him but she didn't know what to do as she was planted in fear._

_Punches were being thrown all over the place and Edward was crying out as they wrestled on the floor, both trying to lay more punches into the other. _

_When they both managed to stand up, they went barrelling into walls and into the small amount of furniture in the room. Edward's fists were bloody and he was in pain but his anger kept him going as he took it out on James._

_His freedom had been so close and he wasn't going to let him take it away again. They had everything they needed to leave and the opening was right there._

_Bella saw how much Edward was struggling and she searched around her for a way to help but she couldn't find anything. She thought about all the movies she's seen and wondered if she could find something to hit James over the head with but she couldn't see anything. She thought about the planks of wood they had used to break open the door but she knew she couldn't go back to the basement to get them._

_She nervously looked around until she heard her name being cried out by Edward._

"_Bella! Bella! Run!"_

_Bella looked up anxiously into his eyes as he coiled his fist back and punched James right in the stomach._

"_Bella! Go!" he yelled out again._

_She realized what he was saying and she wanted to cry. He wanted her to leave without him. He wanted her to run away and leave him there, fighting off James._

_She shook her head as her jaw clenched._

"_Run! Get help!"_

_The tears started to fall down her cheeks as she saw his bloody face. James tackled him into the wall again and he cried out in pain but he managed to push James off him and tackle him to the ground. He punched James again in the face and she couldn't bring herself to leave._

"_Bella! Get out of here!"_

_She continued to watch as they fought and punched and cried out in pain and she realized she could go, get help, and everything would be okay. Edward would be okay and they would be safe._

_She eyed the small opening in the wall and with one last look back to Edward, she ran for it. Her upper body fit easily into the small door but before she could even get her whole body through, she felt large hands gripping her ankles, as she was pulled out of the opening._

_A small nail had been sticking out along the edge and as she was dragged away from the doorway, the nail ripped through her thin t-shirt, leaving a large gash across her entire stomach. She yelped in pain as she gripped her stomach but she was still being dragged away._

_She looked all around her, trying to find Edward and as she looked behind her, she saw him motionless on the floor, blood everywhere._

_She tried to yell and scream and break away from James' hands so she could help him but she couldn't get away. She was dragged completely out of the room and into the kitchen as she clawed and attempted to grab onto something._

_When she was pulled all the way to the basement door, she yelled even louder, kicking as hard as she could._

_She couldn't go back down there._

_Not when they had been so close to escaping._

_James hoisted her over his shoulder as she tried to kick free but he held her in place as he descended the stairs._

_When they were at the bottom, he threw her onto the floor and she fell onto her knees, continuing to clutch her stomach._

"_They thought they could escape," James said to himself._

_Bella was crying and yelling as she tried to kick him in the groin but she failed and he pushed her backwards. _

"_I tried to be nice. But not anymore."_

_

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**Things are about to get serious! I wasn't sure if I should warn you guys about the kidnapping portion of this chapter...I didn't think it was anything too crazy but if it was for some then I apologize.**

**Really hope you guys enjoyed this one! Everyone wanted them to make it official so...finally! What did you think? What happens now?  
****And no there won't be a big love triangle between Bella, Edward, and Jacob. He's not really a part of this story. He'll reappear here and there...but nothing big...so don't worry!**

**We're back to Wednesday postings...I can't make promises for weekly updates but expect new chapters to be posted on Wednesdays from now on.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter...I didn't get a chance to thank anyone so this is one big thank you!**

**And as usual, reviews get a teaser for Chapter 22 where they confront their parents.**


	25. Chapter 22

******Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.**  
**

As usual, thanks goes out to **SabLuvsLogan**

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Chapter 22

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When Edward walked into his house after returning from the meadow with Bella, he found his parents sitting hand in hand on the couch in the living room. He slowly removed his jacket as Esme and Carlisle looked up at him, worry clouding their features.

"Edward," Esme said quietly.

"Don't," he whispered back.

"Son," Carlisle started. "You can't disappear on us like that. Even when you're upset you have to tell us where you're going."

"Did you do it on purpose?" Edward asked calmly, ignoring what his father was saying.

"What?" Esme asked.

"Did. You. Do. It. On. Purpose," he repeated, finally looking up to face them.

"Edward, we don't know what you're talking about," Carlisle answered.

"Yes you do," he whispered.

Esme quickly looked down, not being able to stand the way her son was looking at her.

"Tell me Jacob and Tanya came on their own and not because you asked them to."

"Edward," Carlisle started again.

"Tell me they came on their own and not because you asked them to," Edward repeated, cutting him off.

There was a long silence as they debated how to answer.

"We invited Tanya and Charlie invited Jacob," Esme replied finally.

"Why?"

"We thought you would like some kids your age here instead of only adults."

Edward stared at his mother, telling her he didn't believe her excuse.

"That's bull."

Esme took a deep breath as Carlisle stepped forward.

"We know you're upset," he started softly. Edward scoffed and crossed his arms. "But we want you to hear us out."

"I want to know the truth," Edward said firmly. "I don't want any excuses. I want it explained to me. The whole evening."

"We will."

"Everything. Why Bella was at one end of the table and me at the other, why you constantly brought up how perfect Tanya and I would be as a couple and how perfect Bella and Jacob would be together."

"If you listen we'll tell you the truth."

"This should be good," Edward muttered under his breath.

"Please, son," Carlisle said. Edward nodded and took a seat on the couch. Carlisle and Esme pulled up a chair and they sat down in front of him. "We know you're upset. We can see that. But please let us explain and you'll understand, okay?"

Edward took a deep breath trying to calm himself down. He gave a short nod, allowing Carlisle to offer his explanation.

"We needed to see how you were going to react."

Edward waited for him to say more but he never did.

"That's it? You needed to see how I was going to react?"

"Yes, both of you, you and Bella. At first we told them to come because we thought it would be nice for you to have some friends over tonight. But then…we decided to try a little something…to see how you would react."

"What exactly were you expecting?" Edward said slowly.

"We weren't really expecting anything specific…like we said…we just…wanted to see…"

"What did you want to see? You told me you would tell me the truth, so tell me all of it!" Edward demanded, quickly losing his patience.

His parents were skirting around the subject and he was getting tired of it.

Carlisle took a deep breath and spoke again. "When Tanya agreed to come down, Eleazar and Carmen told us she was very excited because apparently she had a little bit of a thing for you. We had a feeling you weren't interested because she didn't really seem your type but we thought…why don't we just…try and…maybe…suggest something…and see what he says. We wanted to see your reaction when someone suggested that the two of you would be good together.

"And then…Jacob was going to be alone so we invited him and we thought…while we're at it we can see how you would react to Bella being introduced to a boy her age. We wanted to see if you would care or not. We wanted to see if there was jealousy between the two of you or if you were comfortable with the other dating other people."

Edward was speechless. He had expected a wide range of excuses and even though he couldn't believe his parents had tried to set him up, he'd hoped he'd been wrong. He'd hoped they would reassure him and give him some other reason that would calm his worries.

He only felt the anger and the betrayal returning with no means to vent it. He tried to say something – anything – but he couldn't.

"Son, we understand you're probably even more upset now…but – "

"Stop," Edward whispered.

"But," Carlisle tried again.

"Stop," Edward repeated.

They sat in silence. Edward's breathing picked up as he sat, staring down at his hands, not being able to look his parents in the eye. He knew they expected him to forgive them. He knew what they were thinking – tell him the truth and he'll get over it.

But he couldn't.

"Sweetie, please," Esme said quietly.

"I don't want to hear it," Edward said, looking up at them. "I don't want to hear anymore. Whatever else you have to say…I don't want to hear it." He took a deep breath. "You ruined a perfectly good day. The two of you together with Charlie actually conspired to ruin a perfectly good day for us."

"Edward," Esme said softly.

"No, mom, I said I don't want to hear it. I didn't understand why you invited them and at first, I wasn't even going to ask. I didn't want to hear you say the words. But now that you did…there's nothing else you can say that will make it any better. I don't need whatever bullshit excuse you're going to give me."

"Son, please, let us finish, you said you would – " Carlisle pleaded.

"No!" he yelled. "This was our first holiday back. Do you realize that? Or did you not even care to think about us?"

"Of course we did!" Esme said.

"It was our first holiday! All we wanted was to enjoy it in peace and quiet. We wanted to spend the day with our family and give thanks for being fucking alive and in the comfort of our homes and you ruined it!"

"Edward, please," Esme cried.

"You know what the worst part is, mom? Do you know? Let me tell you. What you did tonight…I can expect it from dad, I can expect it from Chief Swan, but I cannot expect it from you."

It was a low blow and Edward knew it. Esme's face distorted, displaying the pain of his words, but Edward was too upset to feel bad.

"You know how excited Bella was yesterday to finally learn how to cook a turkey? She was so excited to come over here this morning and spend the time with you. So excited! And look how you repaid her."

"I…"

"I thought you liked Bella," Edward interrupted. "I thought you enjoyed her company. I thought…"

"I do!" Esme quickly answered. "I love her! She's such a sweetheart! This has nothing to do with that! Of course I like her!"

"And yet you still felt the need to destroy our Thanksgiving?"

"We weren't trying to destroy anything, Edward!" Carlisle said. "We didn't know how you were going to react. We certainly didn't think you would react this negatively. We were hoping to find some signs…something confirming our suspicions…something to – "

"Your suspicions?" Edward asked quickly.

Carlisle and Esme looked at each other briefly and Edward understood.

"Is that what tonight was about?" he asked, his anger flaring.

Neither said a word.

"You wanted to confirm the suspicions you had about me and Bella?"

Esme looked up at him and gave him a soft smile. When she spoke, her voice quivered. "You…you keep telling us you're not dating, but…it's getting really hard for us to believe."

"Oh my God!" Edward yelled as he stood up from the couch. "Why does it matter so much? Why do you care so much! Whether we're dating or not should not have affected how you acted tonight."

"We needed to know the truth!" Esme answered.

"Why?"

"Because we need to know, Edward," Carlisle said. "You hardly talk to us anymore. You realize we haven't had a single decent conversation since you got back? We talk about school and the weather and your day and that's all. You never come to us for anything anymore!"

"You did this because I'm not confiding in you anymore?" Edward asked, outraged.

"No, Edward! We did this because we were suspicious and we…"

"Then ask me! All you had to do was sit me down, ask me flat out, and tell me there would be severe consequences if I didn't answer truthfully. You should have handled it like parents and not like a bunch of fucking detectives trying to rope me into a confession!"

"We tried!" Esme exclaimed. "That day I found you in your bedroom, it was so obvious what you were doing! I asked you and you said nothing. You honestly think you would have told us if we sat you down and forced it out of you? You would have gotten upset and stormed out!"

"You could have done it in a civilized manner! What you did tonight…sneaking around behind our backs…inviting Tanya and Jacob to flirt with us to see what we would do…it's absolutely ridiculous. I can't believe you would do that to us."

"We only did it because we thought there was no other way!"

"Why was that a last resort? Why does it matter?"

"Because Edward! Because! It's a huge deal if you're a couple. A huge deal. I don't understand how you can't see that. If you and Bella are involved romantically, we need to know," Carlisle answered.

"Why?"

"Because everything will change. Everything will be different."

"No, it won't. Whether we are or we aren't is none of your business."

"Yes it is."

"No. It's not."

"Yes! It is!"

"Why? How does it affect you?"

"Because it's not real!" Carlisle yelled.

Edward was shocked silent. He was going to ask his father to explain but Carlisle didn't need Edward to ask.

"It's not real, Edward. If you're together…what you feel for her…what she feels for you…it's not…real."

And there it was.

The underlying reason.

It hit him like a ton of bricks and the answer he had prepared in rebuttal no longer felt right.

The words hung in the air and Edward could practically hear them echoing around him.

He gritted his teeth in anger. "You don't know _anything_ about what I feel."

Edward was too angry to stay and face his parents. There had been so much he wanted to say but in that second, he could hardly breathe. He couldn't believe what his father had said and instead of waiting for him to explain further, he went up to his bedroom, slamming the door shut.

He sat on his bed with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands and he allowed his thoughts to run wild.

He didn't know how much time passed but he stayed in his room, mulling everything over. He imagined all the possible things he could have said to his father. He pictured himself marching down to the kitchen, reciting a perfectly practiced speech about him not having a clue what Bella meant to him.

His breathing hadn't gone back to normal and all he wanted in that moment was Bella. He needed her to wrap her arms around his neck and tell him it was going to be okay. He thought about her at home, probably having the same conversation with Charlie that he had with his parents, and he hoped it was going better than his had.

He couldn't believe the words Carlisle had said.

_What you feel for her…what she feels for you…it's not…real._

He couldn't get them out of his mind and because of that, he couldn't calm himself down. His father had no idea what they were like together. He had no idea what they meant to each other. Bella was everything to him. He cared for her more than anything in the world and having his father degrade it not only made him angry, but it hurt beyond belief.

At this point in Edward's life, everything was uncertain. Nothing made sense to him anymore – except for Bella. He didn't know what he wanted to do, where he wanted to go, all he knew was that he wanted her there, by his side. He knew that as long as she was present, he would be okay – they would be okay.

The night wore on, and Edward's anger slowly abated. He was expecting Bella to call at any moment, giving him the okay to head over, so he was anxiously sitting by his phone. He needed her. After having over two hours alone, thinking and driving himself crazy, he needed her reassurance.

He started to gather his things, getting ready so that as soon as she called he would be ready to leave, when there was a soft knock at his bedroom door.

Edward turned and watched at his door opened slowly, revealing an apologetic looking Carlisle.

"Can I come in?"

Edward sighed and sat down on his bed. "Yeah," he whispered.

Even though he was hurt and confused, he couldn't forbid his father from entering his bedroom.

Carlisle stepped into the room and quietly shut the door behind him.

The silence was deafening.

Edward had nothing to say to his father but Carlisle had tons. He made no move to sit down or to speak – he just stood in front of his son, hoping to right the wrong he'd created.

Carlisle took a deep breath. "When you first came back home to Forks, you were…miserable," Carlisle started. Edward lifted his head to look at his father and found his features twisted in agony. "You were…distant…despondent…like you were still in that room…like you hadn't been rescued yet. It…killed us. We didn't know what to do…we didn't know how to handle it." Carlisle took another deep breath. "Do you remember that first day back home? You showered, you changed, and then you walked downstairs and you were…lost. You didn't know how to sit down and relax. You didn't know how to just…rest on a couch and watch some TV…it had been too long since you'd done something so…normal."

Edward didn't say a word. He needed to know what his father was getting at so he sat and he watched as Carlisle spoke up again.

"Your mother and I…we were…just as miserable. Even though we'd gotten you home – which was more than we could have ever imagined – it felt like you didn't feel safe… like you didn't feel at home. We didn't know what to do so we contemplated all sorts of different things…how to make you feel at home, at ease, safe, comfortable, anything. We tried all sorts of different things but nothing was working. For three weeks you were just…not really with us. Not really back."

Edward swallowed audibly as the pain in his father's eyes made his chest ache. He'd never seen Carlisle so solemn, so unhappy, and so… afraid. He felt like he needed to reassure him – to say something, anything, to take the worry away.

Edward opened his mouth so say something but Carlisle lifted his hand, indicating he needed to finish. Edward nodded and Carlisle continued.

"Your mother and I…we…were sick with worry. It was taking a toll on our marriage, on our personal lives, on my practice, everything. We had almost given up hope and thought we just needed to…deal with it…that you would never be the same and it wouldn't matter what we would do to make you feel at home and welcome and safe again…it just…wouldn't matter." Carlisle paused for a second. "And then…out of nowhere…you came back. It was like everything disappeared and you started to act as if you were never gone. You acted like nothing happened to you and we didn't understand it. You made this huge drastic change…overnight. One day you were quiet, distant, always distracted, never focusing on anything. You were hardly eating, hardly doing anything. And then…all of a sudden…you were okay. You were eating breakfast, saying hi and bye, smiling…and it was so strange. You were acting like nothing horrible happened to you…like you no longer needed to cope with the events of the summer. It was like you'd forgotten about it. And ever since that day…we've been walking on eggshells. We don't know if it's temporary, if one day you'll wake up and you'll be just as miserable…just as…distant…and it terrifies us, Edward. It…terrifies us."

Carlisle's voice broke at the end and Edward knew he had nothing left to say. He couldn't say anymore so it was Edward's turn to speak.

"Dad, I can't…explain it to you. I don't know what happened…I can't…justify it. But…why aren't you happy? You should be glad I'm not depressed…you should be glad I'm not…moping around anymore."

His voice was low and he spoke slowly and softly. The room was dark and silent around them and they both knew the conversation they were having should have been had a long time ago.

"I can't be glad, son, because I don't understand it. I'll tell you what I really feel, alright? I feel like this is all temporary, Edward. What you're feeling…you're sheltering yourself from your real feelings, from your real fears. You and Bella together are shielding yourselves from the demons that need to be handled. By being friends…it's fine that you need each other in a way that I'll never understand. But by being involved romantically, you can never be sure of what you want. You're both afraid to face the past and you're forgetting about it together instead of healing and getting over it. I feel that one day, something will happen, and you'll fall right back into that rut."

There was a long pause and Carlisle finally moved from his spot in front of the door. He walked toward Edward and sat down on his bed beside him. They both breathed quietly as neither said a word, until the silence was broken by Edward's cell phone vibrating on his nightstand. Edward watched his phone knowing who it was and for the first time, he didn't answer it on the first ring. He let it vibrate on the stand until it stopped and they were once again sitting in silence.

"Do you understand what I'm saying, Edward?" Carlisle asked. "Do you understand how worried we are for you?"

Edward nodded.

"We need you to understand that, son. Your mother and I…we drive ourselves crazy with worry some days. We're always afraid for you…all we want is for you to be safe. That's all we want. As a parent, all we want is for you to be okay, for you to feel like you have a home. And this is your home, Edward."

"I know," Edward replied softly. "I do feel at home here, I do. I feel safe and comfortable and all that stuff. You don't have to…worry…this will always be my home."

Carlisle nodded.

"But…dad…I get that you're worried. I get it. But what you guys did tonight, it's inexcusable. This talk we're having doesn't suddenly make everything okay. You had no right… scheming… like that. I trust you guys, I really do, but it makes me really doubt your intentions when you do stuff like that."

"I know, Edward, we handled it wrong and we're very sorry." He paused for a second. "We just don't want you and Bella dating each other for the wrong reasons, okay? We don't know what you feel for each other but…it has to be because you want to be together and not because you're more comfortable being together."

"Dad, I was serious before when I said it's none of your business. I know you want the best for me but you and mom have no say in what we do. Whether we're dating or not…it's our choice and you can't decide for us."

Carlisle nodded. "I know."

"I want that to be clear. I know what happened to us. I know our relationship scares you guys because you don't know what's happening but I want it to be clear that whatever decisions we make…you have no say."

* * *

When Edward dropped Bella off at home, she sighed in exasperation knowing her night was going to be ruined by the conversation she was about to have with her father. She walked into her house to find Charlie sitting in the kitchen, and the second her eyes locked with his, her anger ignited.

Unlike Edward, Bella didn't give Charlie a chance to explain himself. She saw him and she burst. She yelled and she screamed and she told him he had absolutely no right to do what he had done.

"When Carlisle and Esme told me they were inviting an old friend of Edward's I decided to invite an old friend of yours," Charlie had explained. "It was only afterward that we realized we could try something out to see how you guys would react to the situation."

Charlie had gone on to explain to Bella what Carlisle and Esme had explained to Edward. Just like Edward, she had found it completely and utterly ridiculous and it angered her further.

"You have no say in who I date!" she told him.

He argued his point and she argued hers and when he mentioned the same thing Carlisle did – the fact that whatever they were feeling wasn't real – she reacted just like Edward had. She was shocked silent and she couldn't conjure up an appropriate rebuttal. Charlie had taken advantage of her silence to tell her how much she meant to him and how much he needed her to be safe and okay.

"I don't want you to get hurt, Bells. I need you to be okay. I don't know anything about this stuff but when Carlisle explained it to me…it made sense."

"Stop letting Carlisle dictate your actions, dad! Everything you do is because Carlisle said so. The only reason you agreed to letting me see Dr Aro was because Carlisle said it would be good for me."

"Because what do I know, Bella? I don't know how to handle a teenage daughter who went through what you went through!"

Charlie went on to tell her how miserable she had been when she had first gotten back from the kidnapping. He told her how difficult it was for him to know there was nothing he could do to make her feel better. He made Bella feel just as sorry as Carlisle had made Edward feel and although she felt bad, she still needed to set the record straight.

"Dad, Edward means the world to me. He's…everything. Whether we're dating or not makes absolutely no difference. You've been treating him so horrible lately and he's done nothing wrong. You don't say a proper hello or goodbye to him, you don't ask him questions or even look at him, you just…mumble a hello when he's here and that's it. He's done nothing to deserve that treatment."

Charlie had stared at her, not knowing what to say and Bella took the opportunity to take a deep breath in order to calm herself down.

"He is so sweet to me, dad. Everyday…he protects me. He's always so…careful with me…making sure I'm okay, making sure I'm not getting hurt. You should be grateful I have him around."

Although she had been extremely upset, she told herself she wouldn't cry.

"I want you to start treating him differently. And I want you to start making decisions for yourself. Stop letting the Cullens dictate your choices. I know it's hard with me living here…I know that. It's hard for me too but I don't want to leave, okay? I really like it here with you but you spend so much time focussing on Edward that you're not letting me and you get close. I'm dealing with this, dad, okay? You don't have to worry about having a depressed teenage girl under your roof."

Charlie gave her a slow nod.

"And I want you to understand that whether Edward and I are dating is up to us. You and the Cullens have no say in that decision."

Charlie had given her another small nod and they were both able to calm themselves down. They ended their argument with an apologetic hug and Bella headed up to her bedroom, glad to soon be putting the day behind her.

She sat in her room and she remembered how perfect she felt in the meadow with Edward, mere hours ago. Recalling the way he'd touched her, the way he'd made her feel, she blushed at the memory. Him asking her to be his girlfriend and the gentle way he'd touched and kissed her scar. She wanted to go back to that and she desperately hoped that the following days would be focussed solely on that – on her and Edward and the fact that they were now boyfriend and girlfriend.

The second she heard Charlie's bedroom door close, she grabbed her cellphone and dialled Edward's number, needing him to be there for her. When he didn't pick up on the first ring, she worried over how his conversation went and the more it rang, the worse she felt.

She wondered if the Cullens had told him that what they felt for each other wasn't real as well. Bella knew that what she felt was very real but she feared what Edward was thinking. Was he not answering her call because he was busy or because he had rethought their arrangement? The thought plagued her as she changed into her pyjamas and brushed her teeth. When she got back to her bedroom she called again but he never picked up. Her breathing started to pick up as she prepared herself for him not showing up.

More time passed and she lay down in her bed, resting her head on her pillow, willing her heart to calm itself. Just as she started to nod off, she heard the familiar light knock at her window and she bolted upright in excitement.

She smiled as she ran to the window, opening it up in invitation.

"Hey," Edward whispered as he slipped through the pane.

"Hi," she whispered back.

They stood awkwardly in front of each other, both wanting to reach for the other but neither making the move to do so.

"Sorry I didn't answer my phone. I was…talking," Edward said.

"It's okay."

She didn't want to admit how worried she'd been so she merely shrugged her shoulders and gave him a small smile.

Edward shrugged off his jacket then and placed it over her bed before pulling her into a warm hug. She sighed into him and wrapped her arms around his waist as they stood together, basking in the feel of the other.

"How did it go?" he asked with his arms firmly wrapped around her.

"Pretty terribly. You?"

"Same," he replied with a sigh.

They spent the next hour rehashing the details of their argument and they both agreed they felt much better after having told their parents they had absolutely no say in any of the choices they were to make.

"I basically told them it was none of their business," Edward said.

"Yeah, I told Charlie he's not allowed to tell me who and who not to date. It's not the eighteenth century for crying out loud." She paused for a second before smiling and moving closer to him. "And um…I also…talked you up a little bit. I told him all about how sweet you really are and he may have warmed up to you."

They were lying side by side on the floor, propped on their elbows, keeping their heads up with their hands. He smiled at her words and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her halfway on top of him so her head rested on his chest.

"What did you tell him about me?" he teased.

"I don't know…all sorts of stuff," she said with a laugh.

Edward soothingly rubbed her back.

"Come on, I want to know what you said. Did you tell him how funny and perfect I am?"

"I told him how good of a kisser you are," she said as she leaned up and lightly placed her lips on his.

He laughed. "Awesome. Out of all the things you could have told your father, I'm glad you chose that."

She smiled and placed her head back on his chest.

"I think things are going to be good now," Edward whispered against her hair.

"I think so too," she replied, sighing contently.

They stayed like that for a moment, enjoying the silence and stillness of the room. Neither said a word as Edward continued to stroke her back as she breathed evenly above him.

After a while, she asked the question that was bothering her most.

"Edward?" she whispered, breaking the long silence.

"Mmhmm?"

"It's real, right?" She lifted her head to look at him. "This…us…it's real, right?"

He gave her a small smile as he stroked her cheek. "It feels pretty damn real to me, Bella," he replied.

She nodded. "Yeah…me too."

She placed her head back down on his chest, the beat of his heart like a lullaby as they both fell asleep, thankfully putting the horridness of the day behind them.

* * *

The following day, Bella sat in the living room with her mother, enjoying the last day she would get to spend with her.

"I heard you and Charlie arguing last night. Did you get everything resolved?"

Bella shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much. I was…really upset…but we talked it over and…things are good now."

Renee nodded slowly then paused before answering.

"Bella, I want you to keep in mind that he has no idea what he's doing, alright? He never had you here with him alone for such a long period of time. And now that you are here, you're a teenager and that makes everything so much harder."

"I know, but I needed to make it clear that he can be a father figure without telling me what to do. It's one thing to set ground rules and it's another to tell me who I can and can't date."

Renee gave a small smile. "I know, sweetie." She paused for a second "If you don't mind me asking, where did you and Edward go last night?"

Bella smiled at the memory. "Edward knows this place in the woods. It's beautiful, mom. It's a large open space with trees surrounding it and flowers everywhere and it overlooks a river. He always takes me there when things get a little…rough."

Renee bit her lip in worry. "What do you guys do there?"

Bella blushed as she vividly remembered exactly what happened the previous night in the meadow. "We talk and stuff," she replied. It wasn't a complete lie; it just wasn't the whole truth.

"Again with the 'stuff' word. What does that mean?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Edward used to go there when he needed to think… so, that's what we usually do."

"You're all alone in a beautiful opening in the woods and all you do is talk?"

Bella bit her lip and Renee was very aware of the blush on her daughters face – she knew exactly what they were doing in the meadow.

"He asked me to be his girlfriend last night," Bella replied with a shy smile.

Renee grinned. "Really? Oh, baby girl, that's great! Your very first boyfriend! A good one, indeed," she replied.

Bella smiled and nodded.

"Sweetie, I know you said we don't have to have the talk again and I have nothing to worry about but…eventually…maybe…as your relationship progresses…"

Bella scrunched her eyebrows, not understand what her mother was asking her.

"I'm sure you know what you have to do, but…maybe you should take the proper precautions in advance so in case anything does happen, you're…prepared?"

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, still not fully understand what her mother was getting at.

"Well, maybe we should put you on…you know…the pill…just to be safe?"

"The pill? Mom, I told you, I'm not doing…that…with him."

"Yet," Renee muttered under her breath.

"Mom," Bella chided.

"Look, Bella, it's your first boyfriend, I know that, but I remember what it was like, okay? Sometimes these things just…happen… out of nowhere and when you're not expecting it but the next thing you know you're in the middle of it and I'm just saying it's better to be safe than sorry."

Bella contemplated her mother's words and she found herself remembering how easily things have gotten out of hand in the past when they didn't stop themselves. A small peck often turned into a long make out sessions, which lately ended with grinding and touching and she knew how easy it was for her to lose control with Edward.

"So…I should go on it even though I'm not…you know…"

"Well, I don't know when I'm going to be able to visit next, and I know you're not going to talk to your father about this, so I'd rather do this now so that when the time comes you don't have to do it alone."

Soon after their conversation, Bella and Renee headed out to the nearest clinic to put Bella on birth control. It wasn't how Bella had originally planned to spend her last day with her mother but she quickly realized she was glad she wasn't doing it alone. Having her mother with her – reassuring her she was making the right decisions – put her nerves at ease.

After the visit to the clinic, they headed to Port Angeles and enjoyed a nice lunch together before doing a bit of shopping. Even though the day had been going great, Bella still had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach knowing her mother would be leaving the following morning. Spending the day together made her realize how badly she wanted Renee there with her all the time. She wanted her around whenever she was feeling nervous or afraid, whenever she needed reassurance that her and Edward were going to be okay, whenever Charlie went into one of his overprotective father modes. She knew Renee was only a phone call away but it wasn't enough. She wanted her mother to be there at all times with her shining eyes and exuberant laugh, her happy-go-lucky attitude and her brilliant smile.

That night, when Bella and Renee headed to bed, they both knew it was the last time they would be wishing each other goodnight face-to-face so they hugged each other tightly, Renee placing a warm kiss on her daughter's forehead before parting ways.

* * *

When Bella headed down to the kitchen the next morning, she saw the small suitcase packed and ready by the entrance and her heart clenched in pain. When Bella had decided to move to Forks for good, it broke both their hearts but it was something that needed to be done. Renee had understood everything her daughter had said and even though their goodbyes had been beyond painful, they both knew it was the right decision. It had taken a while for Bella to become accustomed to living without her mother, but now that she had spent the last three days with her, she really didn't want her to have to leave again.

After a quick breakfast, Bella and Charlie drove Renee to the airport. When they reached the gates, Renee stopped in order to give them a proper goodbye but her heart broke at the sight of the tears flowing freely down her daughter's cheeks. Charlie gave her a hug goodbye, thanking her for coming down and telling her to visit whenever she pleased. Renee smiled at him before thanking him and enveloping Bella in a tight hug. Bella hugged her back as tightly as she could, knowing she wouldn't be getting another warm hug from her mother anytime soon. They said their goodbyes as they cried and hugged until Renee was eventually forced through the gates, not wanting to miss her flight.

When Bella got home later that day, she called Edward and asked for him to come and keep her company. He would never say no to such a request so he rushed over, knowing how hard she would be taking Renee's departure. Bella was in the living room with Charlie so Edward grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around her. He softly asked her if she was okay and if she needed anything, and when she said no, he sat down at the opposite end, lifting her feet into his lap and softly rubbing her leg as Charlie watched on.

He saw how gentle and sweet Edward was being with his daughter and he immediately knew exactly what she had been talking about during their argument. He knew he had no reason to hate the boy, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized he didn't hate him at all.

Bella eventually fell asleep from exhaustion but Edward stayed there, making sure she was warm and comfortable as he sat beside her.

Charlie kept his eye on them all afternoon. When Bella woke from her nap, he watched as Edward smiled warmly at her. He saw the smile spread across Bella's face as she woke up to the sight of Edward. He then watched as Edward prepared her a sandwich for lunch before putting in a movie for her to enjoy as she lay down.

Edward knew it was going to be difficult for Bella to have to say goodbye to her mother a second time so he was trying to make it as easy as possible for her.

"Bella," he whispered. "Alice called while you were sleeping, she said they were all going to her place tonight, do you want to go? Or would you rather stay in?"

Bella thought about it for a second before sitting up. "No, I want to go. It'll be nice to get out of the house."

That night, they all gathered in Alice's basement and Bella took comfort in the fact that she had friends there keeping her company. She missed her mom and she always would, but having them all there with her made things much easier.

They spent the night lounging around like they usually did. Edward, Emmett, and Jasper played video games while Rosalie, Alice, and Bella sat on the couches, talking. When they ran out of things to say, Edward asked Bella if she wanted to have a turn at the game. She smiled and agreed as she sat beside Edward, grabbing the controller from his hands. He kissed her cheek and showed her what to do before starting a new game and letting her play against Jasper and Emmett.

Half an hour later, Bella was quickly becoming a pro.

"Edward, man, she's totally kicking our asses!" Jasper exclaimed.

Edward was sitting on the couch next to Alice and Rosalie and he grinned. Bella turned around to smile at Edward and he winked at her.

"I can't believe this!" Emmett exclaimed. "Edward, you never told us how kickass Bella is!" Emmett threw his arm around Bella's shoulder. "Do you play this with Edward? Rose, why don't you play video games with me?"

"I'm too busy having sex with you, Emmett."

"Oh yeah," Emmett replied with a smirk.

"Emmett, get off my girlfriend," Edward said casually as he popped a jujube in his mouth.

Emmett grinned and let his arm fall down Bella's shoulder. "Girlfriend?" he asked with a smile.

Edward's head snapped up and Bella blushed shyly.

"Something you're not telling us?" Emmett asked, the same grin plastered to his face.

"Umm…" Edward started as he looked over at Bella.

He noticed the way she blushed and nervously bit her bottom lip and he smiled at how adorable she was.

"We're um…a…couple…now," he said slowly. "Officially."

"Finally!" Alice exclaimed.

Edward smiled and motioned for Bella to approach him. She got up from in front of the TV and walked over to Edward to sit sideways in his lap. He placed his hand behind her head and brought her forward to lay a soft kiss on her lips.

"So what's going to happen at school tomorrow?" Rosalie asked.

They shrugged. "I don't know, we're not hiding it anymore, so people are going to know we're together now."

"Poor Mike," Jasper said.

"Poor Jessica," Rosalie added.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but…I can't wait for school on Monday," Emmett said.

And neither could Edward and Bella.

**

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:::

* * *

_As Edward awoke, he had no sense of time. He didn't know if he'd been out for minutes, hours, or days. His eyes slowly opened and he attempted to focus in on anything but his vision was blurred. He slowly sat upright but he immediately winced in pain as every inch of his body cried out in agony. He looked down to find his knuckles covered in cuts, scrapes, and bruises. There was dried blood along his hands and arms and he quickly leaned back to check his stomach._

_He vividly remembered his fight with James and at the time it had felt like he had broken every bone in his body. His ribs ached and his stomach throbbed but he was fairly certain nothing was broken. He took deep breaths as he tried to find his bearings, needing to know where he was._

_He looked around him and the familiarity of the basement came flooding back as he found himself back in his corner where he had spent the last two months. The space around him however, although familiar, felt off. It felt colder and dirtier, like the life had been completely sucked out of it more so than before. _

_He heard a faint cry across the room and he immediately knew it was Bella. He hated the fact that he hadn't thought of her sooner but he was in too much pain to register anything. The second he heard the cry he knew he had to get to her – he had to know if she was okay. He remembered telling her to run but James had hit him hard in the head and he had no idea what happened afterward._

_He attempted to stand but his legs were weak and bruised. He forced his muscles to work and after many attempts, he finally got himself standing. Walking proved just as difficult but he made his way over to her, desperate to know how she was doing._

_The room was darker than usual and he had a hard time manoeuvring around the multitude of boxes and garbage littering the floor. Her faint cries were getting louder as he approached and when he was finally in front of her, he saw her face contorted in pain as she gripped her stomach, the floor beneath her stained with blood. The sight before him knocked him to his knees._

"_Bella," he whispered._

_He watched as she slowly opened her eyes but she recoiled away from him in fear and he suddenly felt a whole different level of pain. He had scared her but he didn't know why or how. He hadn't said or done anything, she just instinctively pulled away from him when she saw him there._

"_Bella? It's me, it's Edward."_

_She allowed herself to stare into his eyes and he saw the recognition as it dawned on her._

"_Edward?" she cried._

_She lifted her hand to cup his face and he winced in pain at the light touch. His cheeks were throbbing and it was taking everything he had not to let the tears flow down his face._

"_Bella, let me see your stomach. You're bleeding."_

"_Your face," she whispered as she kept staring into his eyes._

"_It doesn't matter, please, let me see your stomach."_

_He lightly took her hand away from his face as he slowly pushed her onto her back. She let out a small whimper and he immediately knew it was worse than what he'd imagined._

"_I'm just going to lift your shirt a little bit so I can see, okay?"_

_She gave a small nod and he slowly lifted her shirt upward to properly take a look at where the blood was coming from. He tried to not let the shock be visible in his eyes because he knew she was staring into them but when he saw the long cut running from her left rib to her right hipbone, he lost the control he thought he had over the situation._

"_Oh God," he whispered._

_Her entire stomach was covered in blood and something about the look in her eye and the small groans of pain she was letting out put him into overdrive. He remembered a specific day when he was eight years old, when he fell off his bike and scraped his knee and Carlisle came out to help him._

"_The first thing you do before cleaning a cut, Edward, is to wash your hands," Carlisle had said._

_Edward bolted upright, forgetting about the pain in his legs and abdomen, and he ran to the bathroom. He washed his hands and he winced in pain as the water hit his sensitive knuckles. He scrubbed his hands clean and he frantically searched through the cabinets to find anything to clean her wound._

_When he looked up into the cabinet beside the mirror, he caught a glimpse of his face in the reflection and he paused in panic. He looked completely different. His left eye was twice the size of his right one, his cheeks were pink and purple, and his lip was torn and bloodied._

_It was no wonder Bella had pulled away from him – she hadn't recognized him._

_He gave himself a few seconds to recover from the shock at having seen what damages the fight had caused but he quickly regrouped, grabbing everything in his arms and rushing back to Bella._

_He immediately went to work, cleaning her cut, disinfecting, laying down Polysporin since it was all he had, and covering it with gauze. He worked on it meticulously, making sure every inch was as clean as he could get it, and covering it up as well as he could._

_When he was finished, he slowly lowered her t-shirt and sat down beside her._

"_Thank you," she whispered after a long silence._

_He nodded his head and fell backward to lie down beside her, since he'd used all his energy in cleaning her wound._

_Bella slowly turned to face him then as she got up and leaned over him. She grabbed the disinfectant and the Polysporin and she slowly started cleaning the cuts on his face. She dabbed at his cheeks and his lips, grabbing his hands to place them in her lap, disinfecting the cuts and wrapping his hands with gauze._

_When both their wounds had been properly tended to, they lay side by side, entwining their fingers, laying their heads down, and falling asleep, finding comfort in the presence of the other and desperately hoping they would once again find the will to build up their strength and escape like they had intended to._

_They now knew where the exit was…they just needed to get there._

_

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**Reviews get a teaser for the next chapter!**

**I have a rec this week! I was rec'ed Rabbit Heart by KitsuShel and even though there are only two chapters posted so far...it looks very promising! KitsuShel is the author of Parachute which I'm sure many of you have already read...and if you haven't...well...you should. Anyway...check out Rabbit Heart if you're interested.  
**

**Here's the summary: **When a stalker gets too close to rockstar Izzy Dwyer, she makes a choice that brings her back to her hometown and leads her on a journey full of new love and friendships.


	26. Chapter 23

******Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.**  
**

Thanks as always to my lovely beta **SabLuvsLogan**

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Chapter 23

* * *

Edward and Bella sat in the car before first period Monday morning, preparing to face the rest of the students.

"Are you ready?" Edward asked.

Bella nodded. "Yeah."

"Nervous?"

She thought about it for a second before answering. "Nah. We don't have to like…flaunt it, you know? We're just not pretending anymore."

"Yeah," Edward replied with a nod. "Exactly. We'll just act…normal."

"Yeah…normal…"

"There'll probably be a lot of staring though," he added after a short pause.

"Yeah that's okay, though. At least we'll know why they're staring."

"Yeah," he answered. "Alright, let's go."

They both took a deep breath before opening their doors and stepping out of the car. Edward rounded the front to join Bella on her side and he slipped his hand in hers as they both headed toward their first class.

All morning he walked her to and from class, holding her hand, smiling and laughing, loving the fact they had nothing to hide.

As the day went by, they noticed the students not reacting how they had originally imagined. They had pictured everyone staring at them, whispering as they walked by, but none of that was happening. By the time they entered the cafeteria during lunch, Edward's arm was wrapped loosely around Bella's shoulder.

"It's really weird, guys. We were preparing ourselves for a rough day, but it's like no one's even noticed," Edward said after sitting down at their usual table.

"Are you really that surprised, Edward? You guys have been walking around holding hands since September," Emmett replied with a shrug.

Edward and Bella looked at each other and scrunched their eyebrows but they quickly realized Emmett was right – their fellow students had already been accustomed to their closeness and hadn't noticed the change.

"I guess you're right," Edward said before turning to look at Bella. "We really did have nothing to worry about."

The topic of conversation quickly changed but Edward found himself not being able to focus on what they were discussing. His mind was elsewhere and he was feeling almost discouraged. He had been excited about being able to walk into school freely holding Bella's hand, touching her whenever he wanted to, and the fact that no one seemed to care or notice was unsettling. He had wanted everyone to know that Bella was his. He was sick of the way some of the guys stared at her and had hoped that this was the day it would all change.

Noticing how quiet Edward was, Bella nudged her shoulder against his to gain his attention. He gave her a small smile before turning back to his half eaten sandwich. He had wanted things to be different but so far the day felt like any other. He contemplated the different things he could do to set the record straight, and when Mike Newton approached their lunch table his eyes set on a Bella, Edward knew what had to be done.

Edward watched as Mike leaned over slightly so he could talk to Bella; ignoring everyone else at the table.

"Hey, Bella! I was wondering if you wanted to go over the answers to the Spanish assignment with me."

"Oh, umm…" She paused as she stole a quick glance at Edward. "Well, we can go over them in class if you want."

She looked over at Edward again to see his reaction but he was merely smiling at her so she smiled back and looked toward Mike.

"Alright, yeah, that sounds good. How did you find it?" he asked.

Bella looked around the table to find the rest of them rolling their eyes. She sighed and answered him. "It was actually pretty easy. How did you find it?"

"Yeah, same. Well actually, you know, number 6b was pretty tough. I was confused between…"

He continued to talk and Bella listened, nodding along at the appropriate points. Mike didn't want to leave and the fact that Bella was answering him fuelled him further so he kept on going.

Mike was discussing his weekend out with Tyler and Eric but he was abruptly interrupted by the sound of Edward's chair screeching against the cafeteria floor. The noise was deafening and most of the students turned to look at where it came from.

Edward ignored everyone around him as he stood up and held his hand out in front of him for Bella to grab. She was beyond confused and had no idea what he was doing but she placed her hand in his and stood when he pulled her up.

Mike stopped talking and was grimacing at Edward for interrupting his conversation with Bella but Edward couldn't care less.

"Excuse us, Mike," Edward said.

"Edward, wha –"

In one swift movement he wrapped his arm around Bella's waist, bringing her body flush with his. He bent his head forward, quickly bringing his lips to hers, cutting off whatever she was about to ask him. She let out the most adorable set of noises and he smiled against her lips as he kissed her, even turning their bodies the slightest bit to the left so Mike could actually see the way his lips molded to hers.

The kiss was soft yet meaningful as Edward moved his other hand to rest on her cheek. When Bella was over the shock of his action, she lightly laced her fingers through his hair as they kissed sweetly and passionately.

A hush fell over the entire cafeteria as everyone turned in their seats to witness the kiss and declaration of relationship status.

The couple remained standing in the middle of the cafeteria with their arms around each other, kissing as though they were alone in Bella's bedroom, until Edward heard the sound of a throat being cleared behind them. Realizing he probably proved his point, he slowly pulled away from her, placing one final soft kiss on her lips before opening his eyes.

Bella's cheeks were bright red with a large smile spread across her face at the sight of him. He kept his arm around her waist as he kissed her forehead. Since the first day of school they tried to blend in, not wanting anyone looking at them differently, but today Edward needed to set the record straight and the stares coming from the students were now welcome.

Mike stared at the two of them, not sure if he imagined the exchange or not, but the silence of the cafeteria told him he hadn't. He coughed nervously before giving them a small smile and quickly leaving the table.

"Nice!" Emmett hollered as Jasper, Alice and Rosalie laughed.

"That wasn't very nice of you," Bella said with a smile.

He smirked and leaned over to place another long, soft kiss on her lips.

* * *

After the stunt in the cafeteria, the whole school reacted as they first expected, whispering in full force as they roamed the halls. Some students smiled at them while others glared but Edward simply wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close as they strutted down the hallway without a care in the world.

On Wednesday, Bella and Edward had their bi-weekly session with Dr Aro. Bella sat in the waiting room, casually reading a book while Edward finished his appointment. When she heard the door open, he greeted her with a smile before approaching her.

"Hey," he whispered.

He linked his index finger with hers for the briefest of seconds before giving her another smile and walking out the door.

"Dr Aro will see you now, Miss Swan," the reception said softly with a smile.

Bella nodded at her and stepped into Dr Aro's office.

"Good afternoon, Bella."

They shared their usual hello's but Dr Aro quickly jumped right into the topic.

"There's actually something I want to talk to you about today. I don't know if you've noticed but we just passed our three month date."

"No, I didn't realize," she replied.

"Well, the date is not really important but I wanted to let you know that I've officially diagnosed you with post-traumatic stress."

He spoke softly and slowly like he was trying to ease her into his diagnosis.

She paused as she contemplated what he said. "It wasn't official before?" she asked.

"Well, no, it wasn't an official diagnosis. I was fairly certain but you're quite unusual as a patient, so it was difficult for me to be certain."

"So… what does it mean?"

"You didn't look it up on the Internet when I first mentioned it?"

"No," she replied while shaking her head. "I didn't like the thought of googling myself."

Dr Aro smiled. "That's actually really good. Some people go online and are frightened by what they find. In the simplest of words, it's an anxiety disorder. You remember when you told me about the day you were locked in the closet at school?"

Bella nodded.

"That day you were reminded of your kidnapping and you essentially relived the event. That means the kidnapping was traumatic enough for you that the smallest of things triggered those memories. When you told me you believed James was there – you said you actually saw him coming toward you – that's a serious trigger. All the situations you informed me of, the time in Mike Newton's bedroom, the one in the gym at school, all of those are just the trauma of the kidnapping coming back to haunt you.

"Also, the fact that you used to never talk about the kidnapping was another sign. You used to avoid saying anything about it. You're a little better now though and that's great. In the past couple weeks I must admit you have truly shared a lot with me. But you're still very sceptical about sharing any details of the experience that has deeply affected you.

"I was originally expecting you to tell me about vivid dreams or nightmares but you've made a point of saying you don't have any which is what makes your case so peculiar. There are a few signs of post-traumatic stress that you don't show at all but over the past three months, everything you've shared with me about what you feel and what you experience all point toward that."

Bella nodded slowly. There was a long pause before she looked up at him shyly.

"Are you going to make me take pills?" she whispered nervously.

Dr Aro smiled at her. "No, my dear. If you're not yet aware, I'm a psychologist and not a psychiatrist. I don't give out any medication whatsoever."

"So...how do I get better?"

"We're going to start today with some exercises. In the end I want you to learn to control your memories and manage your anxiety. We're going to do a series of relaxation exercises. Muscle relaxation and deep breathing are going to be important so I want you to start coming to our appointments in comfortable clothing – you know, sweat pants, that sort of thing. You've already gotten improved, Bella. I don't know if you've realized it or not but I've seen a pretty significant difference between our first appointment and now."

Bella paused for a second before answering.

"I feel very…normal. I don't feel like I need any of this, you know? I feel okay. As long as I avoid getting locked in closets, I'm fine. And I mean, honestly, who gets locked in a closet? It was a fluke that it happened to me. I'm okay with avoiding."

Dr Aro nodded before taking a deep breath. "Can I tell you a story, Bella? I want you to really pay attention to what I'm about to say."

She looked at him and nodded her head slowly.

"When I was six years old, I stepped on a bee hive and was stung in fifteen different spots – my arms, my legs, my neck, even right above my left eye. Right here," he said as he pointed to his eyelid. "It hurt like you wouldn't believe. I was six years old and I thought I was dying – I thought that was the worse pain anyone would ever experience." He paused as he watched her reaction. "After that day, I believed all bees were bad. Those bees stung me, and it hurt, so I therefore made the association that all bees would sting me. In short, I developed a fear of bees. I spent my entire childhood and adolescence with this major fear and it was all based on that single day when I was six years old. Because of that anxiety, every time I stepped outdoors I was hyperaware of my surroundings. When the smallest of insects would fly by I would recoil and run inside. I was petrified by the thought of being stung again. As I grew up, I couldn't even remember what it felt like to be stung by a bee but it didn't matter. After a while it wasn't even about the pain, it was just about being away from that bad memory."

Bella was mesmerized by his story. He was merely talking about bees but his soothing voice and the way he talked about his own fears made her eager to hear more.

"I wasn't by any means a miserable young man, Bella. I didn't let that tiny fear govern my life – I was very happy avoiding it. I could have gone my whole life avoiding bees and I would still be sitting here with you today." He paused for a short moment. "The thing is, there comes a time when certain things are unavoidable. Sometimes you walk into your backyard and right above your head is a huge nest and there is nothing for you to do but to face that fear. And when you can't – when you freeze and allow the fear to take over – that's when it becomes dangerous. That's when you realize the perfect life you were living – with avoidance – is a lie. There comes a time where you just can't do it anymore."

He paused again, watching her sitting in front of him, captivated by his story.

"You can't live your life avoiding the things you associate to your kidnapping. Just like that day at school when you were locked in that closet, you will be reminded of it. And sometimes, it gets to a point where the mere thought brings that anxiety to life. When I would go to amusement parks for example, I would walk to a garbage can to throw away a wrapper and I would imagine myself lifting back the lid and having a bee fly out toward me. It didn't matter if I knew the bee was there or not, all that mattered was the thought. Our thoughts are unfortunately one of those things that we simply cannot avoid. Ever."

"What did you do?" she whispered.

"I spent a day with a beekeeper," he replied casually.

"And what happened?"

"I spent the day with a man who saw beauty in my fear. He asked me to describe what I was afraid of and I found myself not being able to answer him. I was afraid of bees because I was stung when I was six years old but it didn't make sense for me to have such an irrational fear over ten years later. I learned a lot about bees that day. He told me he'd been stung over forty times. The thought frightened me beyond belief and I watched from afar as he walked toward one of the hives in his suit and a minute later big bumblebees surrounded him and I thought I was going to have a heart attack for him. Ten minutes later, it was over and he was back at the barn with me as if nothing happened. It was a norm to him and the more he talked about bees, the more enthralled I was."

"That's all it took?"

"That was the beginning, Bella. I faced my fear head on, I learned all about bees and I eventually became comfortable with the notion of being stung. Then one day, I got stung. It hurt, sure, but it wasn't unbearable. If I had gotten stung in my teens I probably would have had some sort of freak out but I brought myself to a level where I was no longer afraid. And when I was stung, I reacted like anybody else would react in that same situation."

Bella bit her lip. "You look so…normal. I never would have thought you had any problems."

He smiled at her. "I am normal, Bella. And so are you." He paused before continuing. "I'm not saying my little fear of bees when I was growing up is in any way comparable to what happened to you, but I want to make it clear that avoidance is not the answer. You may think you're okay with avoiding those feelings but sooner or later they'll catch up to you. Most importantly Bella, you don't have to live your life in fear. Because once you take possession of your own thoughts, you'll feel empowered by it. You'll feel more like yourself and you'll be able to enjoy the little things in life. When I was able to step outside without a care in the world – when I was to able to spend an entire day by the pool without keeping my eyes wide open to the sight of bees flying around, that's when I truly started living."

"But I can't move on like that. I won't ever forget what happened to me."

"No, you won't. There will never come a day where the memory is hazy – where you won't remember exactly what happened. Truthfully though, I don't want you to forget. It's a part of who you are – it's an experience you were forced into that will shape you as a person. If you agree to my diagnosis, I will jump right into treatment. You opening up to me has been step one but I'm ready to move on to step two if you're willing."

She paused for a moment before looking up at him. "I'm willing."

"Good. I thought you would be." He got up from his chair and headed towards his desk. He opened his top drawer and pulled out a large brown envelope before returning to his seat in front of Bella. Once he was seated, he reached inside and pulled out a stack of what looked like large cards. "These here are pictures," he said as he removed the elastic from around the stack. "I want you to look at them. I don't want you to say anything, I just want you to take as much time as you need and just look through all of them."

He handed her the photos and she swallowed nervously before looking down at them. The first photo had a black background and right in the middle sat a thick piece of rope. The yellow hue of the rope clashed almost beautifully against the black but the frayed ends brought a sombre tone to the picture. The next photo held a picture of an old, dingy staircase. Only the lower half of the wooden stairs were photographed and they were covered in an unnerving layer of dust.

Bella quickly understood the point of the exercise as her heat beat quickened. She flipped to the next picture, which was of a small, dirty bathroom. The tiles were cracked, the sink was filthy, the toilet water brown. She quickly closed her eyes and took a deep breath as Dr Aro watched on, paying close attention to her reaction to the photos. She flipped the photo again and slowly opened her eyes, revealing a picture of a grimy basement. The floors were made out of cement, the walls unfinished, covered in gyprock as if someone had started and stopped the remodelling process. The more photos she saw, the more she was reminded of the kidnapping. Dr Aro had summarized everything she hated most into eight by ten sheets of cardboard and she sat on the couch, eyes clenched shut, willing herself to simply breathe.

Dr Aro deliberately didn't say a word. For purposes of the exercise, he needed her to get through all the pictures before speaking up.

When she felt ready, she opened her eyes again and flipped the picture. She braced herself for another dark photo of something that reminded her of that basement but she was instead met with the picture of a train – there was a platform similar to the one in Phoenix, and the way the sky was lightly covered in clouds made her feel like it was taken during late morning. There were people standing idly by, waiting for their train to arrive just like she had on that fateful morning. Her breathing hadn't gone back to normal but the picture of the train wasn't as bad as the others. It was still difficult for her to look at, and she knew she would probably have a hard time getting on a train if she needed to, but she knew it wasn't as bad as the ones that reminded her of the basement.

She flipped the picture again and was once again met with the photo of the rope. She took a deep breath and looked through all the pictures another time and when she was finished, she flipped through them again until she was able to look through all of them breathing calmly and without closing her eyes.

"How do you feel?" Dr Aro asked when she placed the cards face down on the table in front of her.

"Shitty," she replied.

"Are you upset?"

"No. Why would I be upset?"

"I'm just asking if you are. I'm not going to put words in your mouth."

"I'm not upset. I'm just…" she paused for a moment trying to find the right words. "You sort of made me realize how many different things I'm uncomfortable with."

They talked a little bit more and Dr Aro managed to reassure her. He told her that by the time he was through with her, she would definitely be able to look at each of those pictures without flinching. He had made her feel much better and by the time their session came to an end, she was smiling again.

"I'll see you on Sunday?" he asked as she gathered her jacket and bag.

She nodded and headed toward the door. Right before she was about to turn the handle however, she paused and turned back to him.

"Dr Aro?"

"Yes, my dear."

"That story about the bees…Do you tell that story to all your patients?" she asked quietly.

He smiled. "No, you're actually the only one who's heard it."

She smiled back. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For sharing," she whispered before turning the handle and leaving his office.

* * *

The following weeks were spent in bliss. The semester was winding down as the winter break was fast approaching and the excitement was evident in the students of Forks High. Alice in particular was overtly excited as she made plan after plan of how they would spend their break. She made plans of skiing, tobogganing, tubing, shopping, all of which she expected everyone to be fully committed to.

As November came to an end, December rolled in, bringing with it a light drizzle of snow. Bella had never seen snow in real life before and she was utterly fascinated by the white fluff that layered the ground. The first day it had snowed, she looked out her window and watched in amazement as it fell from the sky.

"Play in the snow? What are you five?" Edward had said with a laugh when she called him asking him to head over.

He had been out shopping with his mom so Bella waited patiently indoors since she didn't want to play in the snow all by herself. When Edward arrived, she smiled at how adorable he looked when he rang her doorbell wearing a black tuque that fit snugly over his head. His hair peaked out from all sides and she couldn't stop herself from telling him how cute he looked.

"I've never seen you in a hat before," she said with a smile.

He grinned. "I bought you something."

He brought the bag he was holding forward as he reached into it, pulling out a white hat, scarf, and glove set.

"I figured you wouldn't be equipped for winter so I went ahead and picked these up for you."

She grinned as he placed the hat over her head. He adjusted it until it was perfect before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on her cheek. She was so happy and excited that she quickly threw her arms around his neck, thanking him for being so sweet.

Ten minutes later, Bella was outside, enjoying her very first snowfall. Edward sat on her stoop and watched the smile as it grew on her face as she stood, letting the snow fall on and around her. She was grabbing it in her hands and smiling at the new sensation, not bothering to wear her gloves since she wanted to know what it really felt like.

No longer being able to feel her fingers, she re-entered the house as Edward shook his head at her but she caught the small smile playing on his lips.

"You are one of a kind," he had said.

Edward proceeded to make her a steaming cup of hot chocolate to warm her up. They spent the rest of the day cuddled in the living room, watching movies and talking, both revelling in the feeling of just being together. Everything had been going so well for the two of them and their happiness clearly shined through their smiles.

As the days went by, Bella noticed Charlie actually talking to Edward. He was asking questions and initiating conversations, one night even inviting Edward to stay over for dinner. They talked all throughout supper and Charlie even asked him to stay and watch whatever game was on that night with him. Edward had grinned and accepted, giving Bella a secret high five when Charlie wasn't looking. He had been completely ecstatic and Bella loved the way her father was accepting him into their home.

"Can you believe it? Think this means he likes me?" Edward asked when Charlie was in the other room.

Bella was making popcorn for them and she smiled when he came into the kitchen. "He never invites anyone to watch the game with him unless he actually enjoys their company."

Edward grinned before they stepped back into the living room. Bella placed the popcorn on the coffee table before handing Charlie a beer.

"Thanks, Bells," he said. "Hey, Edward, you want a beer?"

Edward stuttered as he looked between Charlie and Bella. Bella marginally shook her head no notifying him it was definitely a test.

"No thanks, Charlie. I'll just have a Coke or something."

Charlie nodded but Edward saw the small smile that played on his lips when he thought no one was looking. Edward looked back at Bella and she gave him a small thumb up so he relaxed into his seat and spent the next hour talking sports with Charlie.

Overall, things had been going so well that it seemed nothing could break their happy spell.

Even Bella's relationship with Esme had gone back to normal. They had gone through a little bit of a rocky turn after Thanksgiving but their weekly cooking lessons managed to bring them right back together. Esme had apologized to Bella for what they had done and they were able to fall right back into their usual conversations.

Dr Aro had started his treatment on both Edward and Bella and although she thought it would be particularly difficult, Bella found herself leaving his office feeling great. Knowing how great it felt to open up, she was no longer afraid of sharing any information with him and the more she talked about, the better she felt.

During a particularly good session with Dr Aro, Bella felt a newfound conviction she'd never had before. As she sat in front of him, she felt the urge to tell him about her daily shower routine with Edward. She had sort of just blurted it out and Dr Aro was caught extremely off guard so he politely asked her to explain further. She made it clear that they weren't showering together but that Edward merely had to be present in the room. She explained that he would close his eyes and turn toward the door but she told him she wanted to work past it. The truth however was that she didn't want to burden Edward any longer. It was always such a hassle waiting for the right time when no one was home and showering was simply one of those things that she didn't want to depend on him for.

After her lengthy explanation, Dr Aro remained silent as he pondered her confession.

"Alright, can I ask why you don't want to shower alone?" he asked finally. "Is it because you're afraid to shower alone? Do you think something will happen? Are you reminded of the basement? Or is it something else?"

Bella thought about it for a second before answering. "I'm not really sure actually. I remember the first day we got home, I went upstairs to shower and I sat in my bathroom and I just…couldn't. Edward eventually came over and found me crying in the bathroom and that's when the routine started."

"Are you afraid when you brush your teeth or go to the washroom? Is it the room itself or is it the act of showering?"

"It's just showering. And I wouldn't say I'm afraid. I just…I don't know. I can be in the bathroom with the door closed and I'm fine. I'm not reminded of the basement at all. It's just showering."

"So it's not fear?"

"No," she said while shaking her head.

"Then why not do it alone?"

She had contemplated the question all the way home. As she drove, she really thought about it and tried to come up with an answer but she couldn't. When she got back to her place, no one was home so she lay down on the couch, arms behind her head, and for the next hour, she let herself ponder the question.

_Why not do it alone?_

Of all the ways her life had been altered after the kidnapping, the showering thing now seemed almost…ridiculous. She thought about needing Edward in the bathroom with her and she shook her head at how absurd it was. The more she thought, the more she realized she didn't have an answer to Dr Aro's question. There was absolutely no reason for her to need Edward in the bathroom with her.

She wasn't afraid of the bathroom, the shower, or that anything bad would happen to her in there.

With a new sense of purpose, she found the will to challenge herself. She was home alone and the second the thought entered her mind, she got off the couch and headed upstairs toward the bathroom.

Once inside, she took a deep breath and turned the shower on. As she listened to the water splatter against the floor, she took another deep breath before removing her clothing. Standing naked in the middle of her tiny washroom, she stared at her shower door with defiance. Her heart was racing but in a good way. She allowed herself to smile at the feeling of being completely alone and realized she missed the solitude of showering – of standing under the spray for however long she wanted without worrying about bothering someone else since she was taking too long.

The sound of the water hitting the tiled floor surrounded her and she started getting a little nervous as she realized that for the first time in seven months she would be taking a shower all by herself.

Taking another deep breath, she pulled the shower door open. She immediately felt the heat of the water as it fogged the washroom and although she badly wanted to step inside, something suddenly felt off. Something felt…strange and uncomfortable. She was mentally talking herself into taking that single step into the shower and letting the water soak her but she couldn't. There was something preventing her from doing so but she had no idea what that something was.

She didn't know how long she stood there, desperately trying to talk herself into taking that step, until she finally realized she couldn't. She reached forward and shut off the water, closed the shower door and wrapped a towel firmly around her body. She sighed in defeat having come so close to making a fairly drastic change in her lifestyle since the return from her kidnapping.

She took one final look at the shower before unlocking the door and stepping out of the washroom.

That night, as Edward lay on his back with his hands behind his neck, Bella was slowly running her fingers through his hair, debating on how to tell him what she had tried to do.

"You can't imagine how amazing that feels," he said in a whisper with his eyes closed.

"I need to tell you something," she whispered back.

His eyes opened and he removed his hands from behind his head, placing them on either side of him and lifting up onto his elbows.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded.

"Today, when I got home from my Dr Aro session, I….I tried something."

"Okay," he replied, waiting for her to continue.

"I…um…" She took a deep breath before exhaling.

"You're freaking me out, Bella, please tell me."

"No, no. It's nothing to freak out about. Sorry, I'm being…" she took another deep breath. "I tried…showering."

His eyebrows lifted. "Oh…"

"Yeah…I got home and no one was here and I went into the bathroom and I turned on the water but then…I couldn't go through with it."

"Why did you try?"

"Well, today he asked me to tell him why I couldn't shower alone. Like what was the reason, you know? But I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to answer and I realized that the showering thing was completely different from everything else that happened over there. I'm not afraid to shower alone…I just…I got used to you being there."

Edward nodded. "So, what happened when you tried today?"

"I don't know. I was completely fine. I went in, turned the water on and then I was standing in my bathroom completely naked and…"

She paused when she noticed the smirk on Edward's face.

"Edward," she said with a laugh.

"Sorry," he replied. "Inappropriate. Continue."

She shook her head but smiled to herself. "As I was saying. I was standing there and something just felt…off. I wasn't afraid though. It wasn't like one of my incidents. I didn't have any…flashbacks or anything, I just…I tried and then I couldn't so I just turned the water off, and came back in here." She paused for a second. "I was kind of disappointed."

Her smile had fallen so Edward lifted off his elbows to sit up in front of her before placing his hand on her cheek. He lifted her face upward so she could look at him as he smiled softly at her. "You know how huge of a step that is, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but it just would have been so much better if I actually went through with it."

He shook his head. "Don't look at it like that. You're taking matters into your own hands now, Bella. That's like…amazing."

She nodded and gave him a small smile.

"And besides, you can always try again, right?" he added after a short pause. "Whenever you feel like you felt today you just go ahead and try again. And whether you succeed or not, at least you're trying. That's what's important."

"Yeah, you're right."

He smiled at her. "You know how proud I am of you, right?" he asked.

She blushed and bit her lip.

"Come here," he whispered as he placed his hand behind her neck and pulled her forward. Their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss and Bella felt herself relax under his touch. His fingers slowly wove through her hair and she sighed as she breathed him in, loving the way he made her feel. He slowly pulled away and smiled before placing another small kiss on her nose. He lay down then, bringing her with him so she was lying on his chest. He continued to run his fingers through her hair as she closed her eyes, embracing the feeling and understanding just how big of a step toward her recovery she had taken.

* * *

**So what did you think of Dr Aro's story? Or Bella almost showering on her own! Baby steps...baby steps!**  
**Really hope you guys enjoyed this one. Things are progressing so bear with me!**

**I want to welcome all the new readers. Thanks to all who've been reading and reviewing and adding this to their alerts!**

**I have another rec this week. I found this lovely story called A Quiet Fire by Magnolia822. It's been a while since I've been hooked like this to a story. It's so good!**  
**Summary: **"But true love is a durable fire, In the mind ever burning, never sick, never old, never dead, From itself never turning." Ten years after a tragedy parted them, childhood friends Edward and Bella meet again. Can what was lost be recovered? E/B Some OOC

**Reviews get teasers!**


	27. Chapter 24

******Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.

Thanks as always to my lovely beta **SabLuvsLogan**

* * *

**Chapter 24**

* * *

The last week of school before Christmas break droned on and on as everyone anxiously awaited the holidays. The hallways of Forks High were smothered in reds and greens as the students glowed with Christmas spirit; even the teachers were excited for the short vacation.

The last Thursday before break, Edward and Bella sat in biology, smiling and holding hands, talking quietly among themselves as they waited for class to start.

"Settle down, settle down," Mr Banner said as he walked in.

He deposited his things and waited for everyone to take their seats before announcing that instead of having a regular lecture, the nurse would be coming in to give a special presentation. His announcement was met with hollers of excitement as the students in the class high-fived each other with large grins. Bella turned to look at Edward and he rolled his eyes at their behavior.

"Why is everyone so excited?" she asked.

"They know what special presentation means, that's why," Edward replied.

"What does special presentation mean?"

"You'll see," he said, before cocking his head toward the entrance of the classroom.

Bella turned to see what he was pointing to and saw Nurse Lucy walking through the doors, pushing a metallic cart full of various objects and pamphlets. Sitting at the very top, was a wooden object that Bella had to squint in order to see clearly. When recognition dawned on her, her eyes widened in shock.

"Is that…" she started.

"Yep," he answered, popping the p and blushing.

"Good morning, everybody!" Nurse Lucy greeted. "I'm guessing you all know why I'm here."

There were laughs and giggles as she got settled up front and Edward groaned. "This is going to be a long class," he said before dropping his head onto his desk.

"Calm down you guys," Nurse Lucy said. "I know you're excited but please, relax."

The snickering died down long enough for her to begin her presentation. She told them why she was there, what they were going to discuss together, and made sure everyone knew they were able to ask whatever question they wanted without worry of anyone laughing at them for posing it.

"Forks High doesn't offer Sex Education as a class so we have to make do on our own. I'm sure some of your friends had this presentation before lunch so you probably heard all about it but let's please just get through this like adults."

She started with a clear-cut definition of what it meant to have sex before talking about hormones, making most students cringe at the awkwardness of her speech. The whispering and snickering hadn't died down completely; there were still muffled voices and hushed laughs after words like 'horny' and 'erection'.

Bella and Edward however remained completely silent. Bella listened to Nurse Lucy's every word while Edward sat in extreme discomfort. Having the nurse give sex education with Bella right next to him was pure torture. When she started pulling out models, showing exactly where to find the clitoris and describing what a hymen was, he thought it definitely could not get any worse.

She then started talking about touching, feelings, and consensual sex, so he chanced a look at Bella who seemed utterly enthralled by the nurse's words. His discomfort was ever present but something about the look in Bella's eyes made him lose his concentration. He wanted to know what she was thinking as Nurse Lucy showed how to stimulate the head of a model penis. He wondered if she was as uncomfortable as he was but from the look on her face, it didn't appear so.

"It's important in a healthy relationship to experiment with each other. You need to understand what your partner likes and dislikes in order to avoid making anyone feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. Different people like different things so it's important to take the time to discover those needs."

For the next half hour she discussed the male and female anatomy and the importance of waiting for the right time and right person before having sex. Throughout her entire speech, she emphasized the importance of being safe, drilling into the minds of the students the necessity of using condoms and other forms of birth control.

Just when Edward thought it couldn't get any worse, Nurse Lucy reached into the top drawer of her cart and pulled out a clear bag full of condoms.

The snickering continued and Edward watched as Mike and Tyler high-fived each other. He groaned as he placed his head back down on his desk and although Bella wanted to make sure he was okay, she was far too mesmerized by what was happening up front.

"Alright, calm down you guys. I'm sure you all know what these are. For those that don't, they're condoms."

She took one from the bag and ripped it open, removing the condom from within and held it up for the class to see. There was more laughter and although Edward wanted to let out another groan, he found himself fascinated by Bella's reaction. He couldn't stop looking at her as she stared ahead, listening to the nurse talk.

"I want you all to meet my friend Woody here," she said as she lifted the wooden penis model off her cart and placed it on the front desk. "I'm going to do a demonstration because many of you think you know what you're doing when handling a condom but you really don't. So here we go."

Edward knew he probably should have been paying attention – he should have been watching to learn the proper technique – but he still couldn't look away from Bella. Her cheeks were tinted pink as she bit her lip and watched Nurse Lucy place the condom at the tip of the model and slide it all the way down.

"It's as simple as that," she said.

She removed it then and ripped open another one, showing the class a second time in case anyone missed it or didn't understand.

"Does anyone have any questions?"

No one dared raise their hand so she continued with her speech, handing out pamphlets on different forms of contraception to the girls and how to properly put on a condom for the guys. The snickering had stopped by that point and Nurse Lucy got serious about teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. She went on to show a PowerPoint presentation of what could happen when you're not safe, hoping to scare everyone in the class out of having unprotected sex.

"Unless there are any more questions, I'm just about finished here. I'm going to pass around this bag and I want everyone in the class to take one condom home with them."

She gave the bag to the first student in the front row who slowly grabbed a condom before passing it on. The talking started again as everyone got rambunctious with the condoms. They made jokes about needing more than one or not needing any since they were already fully equipped. When the bag got to Edward, he swallowed nervously before looking at Bella.

"You're going to be needing plenty of those now aren't you, Cullen?" Tyler Crowley said from his right.

Edward shot him a vicious glare and Tyler's smile immediately fell. He turned back to Bella then and she was biting her lip and blushing furiously. Edward rolled his eyes at Tyler's immaturity before reaching into the bag, pulling out a condom, and placing it down in front of him. He gave Bella a small smile before handing her the bag as she took a deep breath before reaching in and grabbing one for herself. She held it between her fingers, knowing the blush on her face was completely ridiculous but she couldn't prevent it. She slowly placed the condom down in front of her and passed the bag to the student behind her, turning forward again and sitting in silence next to Edward, two condoms on the desk in front of them.

When everyone had grabbed a condom from the bag, Nurse Lucy gathered her things and parted with a final "be safe".

The rest of the day passed by quickly and when Edward and Bella met up with the rest of their friends in the parking lot after school, everyone was talking about the nurse's presentation.

"Honestly, what are a bunch of seventeen and eighteen year olds going to do with one condom? She's telling us to have sex but once you start you never stop. Those guys are going to need a hell of a lot more than that," Emmett said as they stood by their cars.

"Well they can go to the store and buy them like everyone else," Jasper replied.

"I'm just saying, it's pointless to give everyone one condom."

"She wasn't telling us to have sex," Rosalie said. "You completely missed the point."

"Yes she was! And no I didn't!"

They all argued over the point of the nurse's presentation while Edward and Bella stood awkwardly to the side, not adding to the argument.

Emmett and Jasper often spoke freely about their sex lives and Edward never seemed to mind until recently. They always talked about when they did it, how they did it, how often, what position, and usually Edward would just laugh as they would tease him but lately the topic made him feel nervous. His and Bella's physical relationship hadn't escalated much since they started dating but he assumed they would eventually get to the point where they would be having sex. However, they had yet to even utter the word 'sex' to each other. The nurse's speech had been a sort of eye opener and he knew they would soon need to have some sort of conversation about the matter.

That night, he climbed through her window with intentions of bringing it up so he could know her take on it. He wanted and needed to know her thoughts on the subject.

"Hey, you're not in your pajamas. What's going on?" he asked when he noticed her still dressed in jeans.

"Oh, I was just finishing up some stuff. I got caught up."

She walked over to him to give him a soft kiss hello. "Hi," she whispered as she stood on her toes to greet him. He placed his hands on her hips and whispered it back. She walked over to her dresser then to pull out a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt before heading to the bathroom to change. When she got back to her room, Edward was lying lazily on her bed and she smiled at him.

"So, um, I actually wanted to talk to you about something," Edward said.

She looked up at him as she folded her clothes. He stumbled with his words and when she folded her jeans, the condom from class fell out of the pocket landing on the floor between her and the bed. She immediately blushed as she bent to pick it up.

"Um…yeah…"she said slowly, holding the condom in her hand. Her face was vibrant red as she bit her lip in embarrassment.

Edward chuckled. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Condoms?"

"No," he replied with a smile. "The whole nurse's presentation today. It was kind of unexpected but I think we should probably talk about it."

"Okay," she said slowly as she moved to sit on the bed with him, depositing the condom on her nightstand. "What exactly should we discuss?"

"Well first of all I wanted to apologize about what Tyler said. I could tell it made you uncomfortable and just…ignore him cause he's an idiot."

She chuckled. "Oh, no, don't worry. I knew it was just a joke."

"Right. Well, I mean, it doesn't bother you at all? Now that we're officially together people will just…assume things…"

"Edward, really. Don't worry. It's fine. Let them think what they want."

"Alright, if you say so. But if anyone ever says anything to upset you, promise me you'll let me know?"

"I promise."

"Good." He took a deep breath. "So…um…I saw how interested you were in what Nurse Lucy was saying. While I was busy being incredibly uncomfortable, you seemed fascinated by what she was showing."

Bella looked down at her hands, the blush still prominent on her cheeks. "I was interested."

He gave himself an internal fist pump but kept his cool on the outside. "What were you interested in?" he asked softly.

She bit her lip and looked up at him. "Everything. I don't know anything about this stuff and I love learning with you but I want to be able to…you know…know what I'm doing. I don't know what feels good for you so it was nice for it to be pointed out so directly." She paused for a second before speaking again. "I want it to feel good when I…do that to you."

He stared at her long and hard, watching the insecurity pass over her features. "You know it will no matter what, right?"

She shook her head. "I'll probably hurt you more than anything."

"That's…not…possible, Bella."

"But Nurse Lucy said if you grab too hard sometimes it'll –"

"I know what she said," he quickly interrupted before she could go any further. "I'm not worried."

"Well, still. It was just…interesting to listen to."

He nodded. "What about the other part of her presentation?" he asked.

"What other part?"

"The...sex…part."

"Oh. That was interesting too."

"Yeah…interesting."

Bella's room was blanketed in darkness, the only light coming from her bedside lamp, which covered her bed in a soft glow.

"Informative," she added.

"Yes, very informative."

"Can I ask you something?" she whispered after a short pause.

He nodded.

"Have you…thought about that?"

"Sex?" he asked.

"Yes."

He let out a low chuckle. "I'm seventeen, Bella."

"What I meant is have you thought about… doing that…"

She paused as he stared at her.

"With me," she added, barely audibly.

"That's a different question," he replied with a smile.

"Edward, this is really embarrassing, just answer, please."

He laughed. "I'm not going to lie, Bella. Jasper and Emmett talk about sex twenty-four-seven so, you know…"

"No," she said with a head shake. "That wasn't an answer."

He took a deep breath. "Yes."

"No, it wasn't."

"No. I didn't mean yes to that."

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Yes," he repeated pointedly.

"I'm confused."

He sighed. "Yes…I think about doing that with you."

"Oh."

He watched as she gnawed at her lip and looked down at her hands and he wondered if she was uncomfortable.

"But, I'm a guy," he quickly added to recover. "It's sort of expected of me to think like that. I mean, you should be worried if I said no."

She didn't say anything and he managed to convince himself that he upset her with his answer.

"Just because I think about it doesn't mean I expect anything."

A silence fell over them as she blushed, fidgeting her hands in the blanket of her bed.

"I think about it too," she whispered finally.

His head lifted up slowly. "What?"

"Sometimes. I think about doing it…with you."

"Oh."

He took a deep breath and they both sat in silence.

"Can I ask you something else?" she whispered.

He nodded.

"Have you…" She took a deep breath before looking down at her lap. "Have you ever…done that…before?"

He bit his lip and paused before answering. The silence that engulfed them seemed to have droned on and on and Bella held her breath as she awaited his reply.

"No…I haven't," he replied finally. He paused for a second. "Have you?"

She shook her head no.

"So we're both…" she started.

"Virgins," he whispered.

They both let out a deep breath at the new information.

"I didn't think you were," she admitted.

"Why?"

"I don't know. You're so…good in that department. Whenever we fool around it's like you always know what you're doing."

"I have no idea what I'm doing," he said with a small laugh.

"Well…it feels like you do. So I just kind of thought it's because you've done more."

"Well…I haven't."

"I'm glad," she whispered.

"Yeah me too. I don't think I would have been able to handle it if you told me you weren't."

"Yeah. It would have been a lot to take in."

There was another short pause.

"So…that's something you'd be interested in trying? When the time was right?" he asked softly.

She nodded slowly.

He took a deep breath. "Okay. Good. I'm glad that's settled," he said with a small chuckle. "Now, I kindly ask that we change the subject before I explode."

"Before you explode?"

"Yes. Talking about sex with my girlfriend who's admitting that she wants to have sex with me is getting to be a bit much."

Bella laughed and bit her lip. "Alright, we can change the topic. What should we talk about?"

"I don't know. I still want to talk about sex," he said with a groan.

She chuckled.

"Oh I know," he said with a smirk. "How about the way you were eyeballing that Woody fellow. You seemed very interested in him, my dear. I was getting jealous."

She grinned. "He was pretty spectacular."

Edward smiled as he slid closer toward her. "You ain't seen nothin' yet."

She giggled. "I don't know, Edward. Most of the guys in the class seemed pretty intimidated by Woody."

"Most of the guys in the class aren't Edward Cullen," he said as he moved even closer toward her.

"Cocky much?" she asked.

He smirked and lifted an eyebrow at her words and she rolled her eyes, realizing what she'd said. He smiled and slid so they were mere inches apart. Bella's breathing had picked up as it did whenever Edward came close to her and she could feel his breath on her face as he spoke.

"Besides, what kind of a name is Woody?"

His words fanned across her neck and she tilted her head to the side, loving the feel and smell of him.

"What do you call your Woody?" she breathed.

"I don't call him anything. I'm waiting for you to name him."

"I can't name him without having seen him first," she whispered before letting out a small moan.

"That can be arranged," he said before turning her face toward his. Their lips connected in a searing kiss full of passion. They explored each others mouths as they had done so many times before, tongues darting out softly to meet each other. Edward's tongue circled hers before she lightly took his bottom lip between her teeth. He groaned at the sensation, bringing his hand behind her head and kissing her more fervently. Talk of sex and Woody's came flooding back as he kissed her with everything he had, moving her little body further up on the bed so he could lie comfortably above her.

He kissed down her jaw and neck before moving down her body, slowly lifting her t-shirt up and letting his tongue and lips travel across her stomach. She let out a small giggle and he smiled against her bellybutton. "Tickles," she whispered. He turned his face and lightly let his scruff tickle her stomach and she squirmed beneath him. He grinned and returned toward her face to devour her lips with his. He worked her bottom lip as his hand traveled from her hip up to her left breast. He palmed her above her shirt, swallowing her moans of approval, and grunting at how amazing her body felt beneath him. He wanted her so bad and he let his mind wander to what it would be like to lie completely naked with her – to worship every inch of her soft skin with his tongue and lips.

Bella brought her hands up to caress the soft skin of his back but she immediately wanted his shirt gone so she tugged at it until he lifted his arms. She pulled it over his head, loving the way he fell back above her, bare chested and extremely eager for their lips to reconnect.

He once again made his way down her body, lifting her shirt above her breasts in order to see more of her. She was wearing a plain black bra and in the small amount of light coming from the nightstand, she looked delightful. He kissed and sucked and nipped at her bra-clad nipple before continuing upward and sucking on the skin of her collarbone.

Wanting to switch things around a little bit, Bella flipped Edward over, settling herself on his lap by straddling his legs. She made quick work of her shirt, lifting it up and over her head before moving her hair to the side and kissing him. She let her tongue dart out against his before laying soft kisses against his face, peppering them down his jaw and neck. She slid down his body, kissing the soft skin of his chest all the way down, and loving the way his hardened length pushed up against her stomach.

"I wish I had facial hair," she whispered against his stomach as she kissed his newly formed abs.

"Umm…I don't!" Edward said, completely confused as he lifted up to look at her.

She giggled against his stomach. "So I could tickle you!"

"Oh!" he exclaimed as he threw his head back. "You really need to be more specific when you say stuff like that."

She laughed against his stomach and let her tongue dart out against his ribs and sides, effectively tickling him. He wiggled beneath her and she smiled at the sensation. She slowly moved back to straddle him again, placing her warm core right against his length. Their mouths crashed together in a wild entanglement of teeth and lips and tongues as Bella slowly let her fingers tickle his sides so she could feel the way he moved against her when he tried to wiggle free. She had gotten exactly what she wished for as she felt his erection slide slowly across her warmth and she moaned loudly at the sensation.

"Shh," Edward whispered with a smile. "Your dad will hear you."

She moaned again. "I don't care. This feels…amazing," she breathed as she moved her hips against his one more time.

His hands came down to control her movements and he let out a groan of his own. "You don't care if he comes in here and sees us like this?" He moved his hands up her body to palm her breasts and she shook her head no. He laughed and pulled her face back down to his. He loved how confident she was being in telling him exactly what she liked but he had also never had a girlfriend on him, writhing her hips against his, and he quickly started to feel the familiar build up of pressure that threatened to burst.

Edward's face was twisted in pleasure and Bella knew he was enjoying it just as much as she was. She continued to slowly move her hips against his until she had the sudden urge to feel his length in her hands. It felt so big and foreign to her that she wanted to learn more. She moved her hips a little forward and smiled at him as she let her right hand stealthily go behind her.

Edward didn't know what she was doing until he felt her small, warm palm flat against him and he instinctively bucked his hips in response.

"Bella," he whispered.

Bella had no idea what she wanted to do from there; all she knew was that she had wanted to touch it. It felt so strange beneath her, hard and soft, completely different from her own body and she found herself just wanting to keep her hand there to get accustomed to the feel. She was momentarily distracted by Edward attacking her mouth with his but she kept her hand there, needing to feel more. When she felt comfortable, she slowly let her opened palm travel up and down his erection and Edward groaned against her lips.

"Fuck," he muttered. "Bella, you need to stop."

But she couldn't. Her ministrations were slow and she wasn't stimulating the head or doing any of the things Nurse Lucy had described – she was just feeling. She found herself wanting to wrap her fingers around it but before she could go any further, her hand was snatched away by Edward's as he stilled her hips and threw his head back, eyes closed tight.

"Edward?" she asked.

"Just…give me a second," he said, trying to calm himself down. She was driving him completely crazy and he did not want to come in his pants from just her little palm sitting softly on his junk. When he'd managed to gain control of the situation again, he opened his eyes to find her straddling him, biting her lip in worry.

"Sorry, I just…needed a second," he muttered.

Her cheeks were tinted pink, her hair was a mess from his hands, her breasts were rising and falling with every breath she took, and all he wanted was to take up where they left off and let her do whatever she wanted to him. Her little hand had felt so incredible but he couldn't let her continue.

"Did I hurt you?" she whispered, looking down at her hands and blushing.

His eyes grew wide in shock at the realization that he'd embarrassed her. "God, no! No, no, no." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her toward him. "I said you wouldn't. That felt… amazing. No complaints whatsoever. It was a little too perfect, which is why I had to stop you before…you know…"

She nodded against his chest and they stayed in silence a little while.

"I didn't want to stop," she said shyly. He smiled and pulled her face up to his to place a soft kiss on her lips.

"Maybe next time, when your dad isn't in the next room, we can…finish."

"Yeah," she agreed with a nod. "That would probably be better."

"Much better. He owns a gun, you know."

* * *

The following day, Edward and Bella's Christmas break had finally arrived so they left school with large grins across their faces when the final bell rang dismissing them. They spent their much needed time off hanging out with Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett, going skating and enjoying other winter activities. One weekend they all headed to Port Angeles to do some Christmas shopping and they all managed to find everything they had been looking for. Edward had been nervous over what to get Bella but after turning down Emmett's suggestion of lingerie he managed to find the perfect present and couldn't wait to give it to her.

Charlie hadn't been accustomed to putting up a Christmas tree but he knew he needed to have one now that Bella was living with him. When she came down for breakfast one morning, he asked her if she wanted to go shopping for a tree together and he loved the smile that spread across his daughter's face as she accepted his invitation. They spent the day together, shopping for the perfect tree and ornaments to go with it, and when they got home, they decorated it together. They both thoroughly enjoyed the father daughter moments they were able to share.

"I never asked what you wanted for Christmas, Dad. Anything in particular?" Bella asked once they were finished. They were lounging around the family room in front of the decorated tree, Bella with her tea and Charlie his beer. He paused before answering her.

"I know this is going to sound cheesy as hell but I'm actually really serious when I say it," he said before depositing his beer on the coffee table. "Bells, just having you here with me this Christmas is the best gift I could ask for. I know I told you to go home to Phoenix to spend it with your mom but I'm really glad you wanted to stay here with me."

She smiled warmly at him. "I'm glad I'm here."

* * *

On Christmas Eve, Bella cooked a nice dinner for Charlie and herself and they spent the night together while Edward spent his night with Esme and Carlisle. Charlie gave Bella her gift that night and she gave him his and they smiled as they sat in the living room enjoying their very first Christmas together. Bella had gotten him a beer cooler that looked like a small coffee table, which made him laugh when he opened it.

"Now you can watch the game and you never have to get up or bother me for a beer anymore," she said with a smile.

"I love it, Bells."

He handed her his gift then, saying it was from both him and Renee. She unwrapped it to find a new laptop and she jumped up in excitement, hugging him tightly around the neck.

"I figured your old one was running on its last legs."

"I love it!"

They went to bed shortly after and when Edward came over, she showed off her new laptop and he showed off the new watch his parents had gotten him.

They got to spend Christmas day together since Esme had prepared another feast and invited Bella and Charlie to spend the day with them. Charlie had usually spent Christmas day with Billy but he knew Bella would rather spend the holiday with the Cullen's so he decided to make her happy and they headed over there for dinner. Charlie and Bella sat in the Cullen's living room with Esme, Carlisle, and Edward and they all chatted before exchanging gifts. Esme had gone out and bought Bella a whole bunch of new clothes and Bella ooh'd and aah'd as she unwrapped each piece.

"I never had a daughter! It was so much fun shopping for a girl!" Esme had exclaimed as she watched Bella open her gifts.

Bella thanked her and Carlisle since the gift was from both of them and she went to get the gift she had gotten for them from her and Charlie.

"You didn't have to get us anything!" Carlisle chastised as she placed the gift on the floor between them.

Bella watched as they unwrapped their gift and they smiled and thanked her and Charlie. Shortly after, they headed to the dining room for dinner where Bella helped Esme in the kitchen with the plate preparations.

After they had their desert, everyone was completely full so they lounged around the living room in front of a warm fire - Esme and Carlisle together on the love seat and Charlie on the La-Z-Boy. Bella and Edward sat side-by-side, enjoying the warmth from the fire, and loving the fact they were able to spend an entire day with their parents with no drama.

Shortly after, Charlie got tired and decided to head home, leaving Bella at the Cullen's after Edward promised to drive her home later on. A short while later, Esme and Carlisle headed to bed and Bella and Edward were finally left alone. He slipped his hand in hers and pulled her up from the couch to lead her toward his bedroom, which was located on a separate floor from his parents so they were guaranteed a good amount of privacy. They sat on his bed talking a little bit about the day before Edward got up to get her gift.

"I really don't know if you'll like it…but I hope you do," he whispered.

She unwrapped the gift but when she saw the packaging of the box beneath the wrapping, she wasn't sure what it was. Edward could see her confusion and he chuckled at her expression.

"It's an ereader," he explained. "You can keep all your books on it and the screen isn't bright so it won't strain your eyes. You always have to wait for the right time before we can head to Port Angeles and now you don't have to anymore. You can just buy your books online and put them right on this. I saw it and immediately thought of you but if you don't like it I can bring it back." He started getting nervous over his gift choice and he found himself wishing he'd just gotten her the necklace he'd seen. She saw the way he stuttered with his explanation, a small blush on his cheeks, and she quickly calmed his worries by placing her hand on his cheek and caressing it with her thumb.

"I love it, Edward," she whispered.

"Really?" he asked, hopefully.

"Really," she replied with a nod. "You'll have to teach me how to use it though."

He grinned. "I will."

She smiled back before getting up and getting his gift for him. He opened it and immediately grinned at the sight of it.

"You said you couldn't even sit on your piano bench cushion anymore so…I thought I'd replace it." He grinned at her. "I don't know if the color matches so you can exchange it for a different color or a different…gift…"

"Bella…this is…amazing. It's so perfect."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It matches the room perfectly actually."

* * *

The following day, when Carlisle and Esme decided to do a bit of boxing day shopping, Edward invited Bella over so they could have the house to themselves for a few hours. When she rang his doorbell in the early afternoon, he opened the door and immediately grabbed her hand to lead her up the stairs. Knowing they were alone, her heart started to race and she hoped he was leading her up to his bedroom. When he dragged her past the door to his room, her smile fell and she frowned.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"I have something to show you," he replied.

He pulled her along and she followed him to the final door at the end of the hallway.

"Are you ready?" he asked as he turned toward her.

She nodded her head and he turned the handle, pushing the door open to reveal a relatively small room she hadn't even known existed. A large window framed one wall, allowing the sun to reflect beautifully through the glass. The entire room was lit up from that one window and in the very center of the space sat a beautiful, black, baby grand piano.

"Wow," Bella whispered as they stepped into the room.

The dark oak flooring and the soft brown walls made it nearly impossible to not feel an immediately sense of ease upon entering the room. There was a dark red couch facing a plasma TV screen that was mounted in the middle of the wall opposite the window and Bella quickly realized that room was Edward's personal space for when he wanted to be alone.

"This is…amazing," she said, her eyes still admiring the space.

Edward didn't say a word. He merely smiled and kept his hand in hers as he pulled her toward the piano. He sat down on the bench she bought him and he smiled up at her.

"Sit," he said as she stood beside him. "It's very comfortable."

She smiled knowingly and slowly sat down, sharing the bench with him. Their thighs pressed together and she waited in silence for what he wanted to show her.

After a short moment of silence, he took a deep breath before speaking. "This is Elizabeth," he said. "Elizabeth, this is Bella."

Bella smiled down at her hands. "You named your piano?" she asked.

He bit his lip and nodded. "Nobody knows but…for some reason… I wanted to introduce the two of you."

Bella smiled again. "It's nice to meet you, Elizabeth." She paused before turning to look at him. "It's a beautiful name, Edward, where did it come from?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure really. My parents bought me her for my eleventh birthday and when they installed her, I sat in this room and I just stared at her and the name just…came to me. I know it's silly but – "

"It's not," Bella whispered, effectively cutting him off.

"Thanks," he replied.

"She's beautiful. She looks brand new. You must take really good care of her."

"I try my best. I let her go for a little while but I apologized sincerely and now I'm back and I don't plan on ever leaving her again. After not playing her for so long she was being very difficult but I finally managed to ease my way back into her heart."

Bella smiled at the way he spoke of his piano. There was pure wonder in his eyes and she knew in that moment just how much he loved and missed it.

"I wanted to play you something," he added. "If that's okay."

Bella grinned. "I'd love that."

Edward adjusted himself on the bench before slowly lifting his arms and shooting her a crooked grin. She watched then as his fingers moved with ease and fluidity across the keys, loving the look of utter concentration as he watched his hands. Bella didn't know what he was playing but she didn't care - it sounded absolutely beautiful and she could have sat there listening to him all day.

The music was soft yet fast and every once a while she would catch the small smile that played at his lips and she would smile along with him. One song would drift into the next and she wondered how long he could sit and play without pause. As his fingers started to slow, she knew his playing session had come to an end and with the final notes, she felt herself sigh in relaxation.

"That was beautiful," she whispered as he removed his hands from the keys.

He smiled sheepishly. "Thanks."

She turned to look at him and something within her snapped. His hair was hanging in his eyes, there was a light blush on his cheeks as he bit his lip nervously, and his eyes shined green and bright. She turned his head toward her and quickly connected her lips with his. She had taken him by surprise and she'd known it. She wrapped her hands in his hair and pulled him as close as possible and he smiled against her lips.

"Has my piano playing turned you on?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered before climbing onto his lap and straddling his legs.

He groaned and pulled her against him as they kissed on the piano bench with the sunlight pouring over them.

She kissed and licked down his neck and he chuckled at how fervent she was being.

"I need to play for you more often."

Her fingers wove through the hair at the nape of his neck and she once again pressed her lips against his.

"I would like that," she said with a grin.

"Maybe I'll even write you a song," he said with a smirk.

She rocked her hips against his and he moaned at the feeling. She sent him her own smirk and he pulled her mouth toward his.

"What was it exactly that got you so riled up?"

"Your hands," she breathed against his skin. "Your fingers. Your eyes. Everything. You're too good looking for your own good."

Before she knew what was happening, his hands were tightly gripping her thighs as he stood up with her in his arms. With a small shriek, she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked them toward the couch.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a chuckle.

He lay her down and climbed on top of her with that same smirk attached to his face.

"I want to see what else these hands can do."

* * *

**:::**

* * *

_In the days following their attempted escape, Edward and Bella saw very little of James. The few times he entered the basement were terribly unsettling as they both noticed the large change in his demeanor and the darkness that burned through his gray eyes made them both recoil in fear. He had never been particularly frightening, but it had now seemed like there had been a large shift in his personality and he was truly terrifying._

_A few days after the incident, it was early morning and they were both sound asleep in their respective corners when they woke up to the sound of banging and sawing. Not knowing what or where the sound was coming from, they immediately thought the worst and jumped up in fear. Bella could hear the loud clanking and the sound of distant voices but her heart was beating at a mile a minute and she couldn't comprehend what was happening._

"_Bella!" _

_Edward's panicked voice broke her out of her daze and she ran toward him before he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the furthest corner of the basement where the sounds of construction were barely muted._

"_What is that?" Bella cried._

"_I have no idea!" Edward exclaimed. _

"_It was so loud! It felt like it was happening right in front of me!"_

"_I know," Edward breathed as he held his heart. "I almost had a heart attack! I don't ever want to wake up to that sound again!"_

_They stood in the corner, trying to figure out what the noise was and where it was coming from, both petrified beyond belief._

_As the sawing died down, they started to hear the familiar sound of hammering._

"_You know, it actually sounds like it's coming from pretty close by," Bella said once she really started listening._

"_Yeah, you're right," Edward replied as he slowly stepped away from their corner and started to walk toward the sound._

_When he got to the staircase, he heard faint voices coming from the other side of the door at the top of the stairs. He tried to listen to what they were saying but he couldn't make out any specific words. There were more muffled voices followed by banging but it was only when he heard the drilling and the clanking of metal that he realized what they were doing._

_Bella appeared at his side then and they both stared up at the door that they had once worked so hard to destroy._

"_They replaced the door," she whispered._

"_And installed a new lock," he added. "A big one from the sounds of it."_

_A sense of dread came over the both of them and since they had no idea how big the new lock was, all they could do was assume it was secure enough for them to never be able to break their way out again. The remainder of that day was spent in silence as they sat, completely discouraged by the fact that they wouldn't be able to attempt another escape anytime soon. _

_The following days were spent in much the same way. Their makeshift calendar had been taken away from them and they therefore no longer had any idea what day it was. Before they knew it each day started to blend together and they could no longer tell the difference between morning, noon, and night._

_Their days were spent simply caring for each others wounds. The cut on Bella's stomach would burn and itch as it healed and she often found herself lying down, shirt halfway up her stomach, staring at it. Often, out of sheer boredom, she started to pick at the scab that began to form but Edward would always intervene._

"_Stop that," he would say as he pushed her hand away. "It won't heal nicely if you keep picking at it."_

_Every now and then he would remove her bandages, disinfect her cut all over again and cover it up. He had been tending to that wound like it was a child because he needed it to heal perfectly. He knew the cut was his fault since he had been the one to tell her to run and he just couldn't bear the thought of her being scarred by his decisions. He needed the cut to completely disappear as if it had never happened so he focused all his attention on achieving that goal._

_Bella loved the way he cared after the cut on her stomach and when he would finish with her bandages, she would tend to his wounds. His eye had gotten to a point where it was no longer swollen. In its place, a large purplish bruise had formed along the bottom of his eye and there was nothing left for Bella to do – the bruise simply needed to disappear on its own. It would eventually fade until nothing was left but the mere memory of that fight._

_Although there was nothing left for her to clean on his face, his hands still needed regular maintenance, which she was happy to give. She cleaned the cuts that surrounded his knuckles and bandaged them up again and was proud that he'd needed her just like she needed him._

_When they were done tending to their wounds, they often talked plans of escape. As the days went by, they no longer cared about the new door that had been put in place – they knew they would succeed if they tried hard enough. They just had to build themselves back up to the point where they had enough willpower to face whatever came their way. _

_When they were strong again, they would try once more._

_They both started paying attention to the sounds of the lock to find out what it was - if it was a padlock, deadbolt, or chain that was keeping them trapped. They hoped it was just a key that they needed to get a hold of but something told them it would be much more complicated than that. As they listened they realized there was definitely more than one simple lock keeping the door shut._

_With all the injuries they had suffered, they were in no shape to do anything right away but the day would come where they would fight again. James thought their attempted escape weakened them and taught them a lesson but he was wrong – it had only made them stronger._

* * *

**Reviews get teasers!**


	28. Chapter 25

******I'M SO SORRY!  
**

******I know everyone hates me and I know it's been over two months since my last update but I hope you can forgive me!  
I know how frustrating it is to have a big break between chapters but I hope you guys are still interested!  
I can go on and tell you how busy I've been but I'll save it.  
I also want to apologize to the reviewers. I didn't get a chance to reply to everyone so I want to give a big thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter.  
****************I really am very very very sorry that this chapter took so long to get out to you guys, but here it is!**

******Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.**  
**

Thanks as always to the lovely **SabLuvsLogan**

* * *

**_PREVIOUSLY_**

* * *

_Before she knew what was happening, his hands were tightly gripping her thighs as he stood up with her in his arms. With a small shriek, she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked them toward the couch._

_"What are you doing?" she asked with a chuckle._

_He lay her down and climbed on top of her with that same smirk attached to his face._

_"I want to see what else these hands can do."_

* * *

**Chapter 25**

* * *

Bella giggled against his lips as he pressed himself against her. His hands roamed down her sides and he shot her a beautiful, crooked smile as she let out the smallest of moans.

"So let's see, shall we? I can use my entire hand," he said as he placed his open palm on her neck and let it slowly drag all the way down her torso until he reached the top of her jeans. He lightly lifted her t-shirt and allowed his hand to move beneath as he let it slide lightly against the smooth skin of her stomach. "Or, I can use just my fingers." He lifted his hand and let his fingers dance along her stomach. As the tips of his fingers wandered further upward, he tugged on her t-shirt in order to remove it.

Bella laughed and lifted her arms as he took off her shirt, leaving her on his couch in nothing but a plain black bra.

"Much better," he said with a smile.

His fingers lightly traced the contours of her bra, down her arms, across her stomach and back up again. He was driving her crazy and he knew it from the small sounds that escaped her throat.

"Or, I can use just my knuckles," he said as he removed his fingers and lightly clenched his fist. He slowly let his knuckles brush against the top of her breast that wasn't covered by her bra.

"Edward, please," she breathed.

He smiled. "Please, what?"

"You're teasing," she replied with a pout.

He let out a small chuckle before bringing his lips down on hers and kissing her softly.

"I can always use no hands at all," he whispered against her lips before kissing the side of her mouth.

He placed his hands above her head and let his lips travel down her jaw where he lightly sucked on the skin of her neck. He travelled further down, his hands never touching her skin, exploring her upper body with just his lips and tongue.

"Which do you like best?" he breathed against her belly button.

She moaned an inaudible response as she arched her back to be closer to him.

"That wasn't an answer," he replied with a laugh. "Maybe a combination of all?"

He removed his hands from above her head and let his knuckles slide lightly against the side of her face and neck. He kissed her right collarbone as his knuckles wandered lower until his fingers ghosted over her bra-clad nipple. His tongue roamed down her chest before he cupped her breast in his hand, teasing her skin with his teeth.

Bella let out the sweetest of moans and Edward smiled at having made her feel so good. His hands kept up their ministrations on her breasts – cupping, squeezing, and massaging – as his lips reconnected with hers. Bella suddenly wrapped her legs around his waist then, wanting to feel more of him as every touch rendered her wild with lust.

The feel of Bella's legs wrapped around his waist sent Edward into a frenzy. His kisses became longer, harder, as his hands grabbed and touched whatever skin he could find. As his need grew, Edward found himself lowering his hand to the button of her jeans. In two quick motions, he undid her button and lowered her zipper, no longer thinking of anything other than getting her out of her pants.

"Edward. Edward, wait," Bella breathed. "When are your parents coming home?"

"Not for another little while," he mumbled against her lips as his hands returned toward her breasts.

"Are you sure? Like sure sure?"

"Yeah. And besides they never come in here so even if they were home right now it wouldn't matter."

He continued sucking and nipping at her neck as his hands slid down her body to her hips.

"Edward! I don't want them walking in on us," she said worriedly.

"They won't."

With one final kiss on the lips he lifted himself up and put his fingers through two belt loops on either side of her hips. His eyes remained fixed on the small section of her underwear that peaked through and he smiled at the sight.

"I never thought you'd be wearing pink underwear," he said with a smirk.

Bella laughed. "I didn't buy them! And Rosalie would actually kill me if she found out I was wearing a bra with underwear that didn't match."

"I won't tell," he replied with a smirk as he kissed her.

Bella kissed him back as one hand went up to the back of his neck, keeping him firmly in place.

"Why am I almost naked here and you're fully dressed?" she asked before lowering her hands to the hem of his shirt and lifting it up and over his head.

"Better?" he asked.

"Much." She gave him a beautiful grin before kissing the skin of his chest and letting her fingers dance across his stomach.

"Hey hey hey," he teased. "We're trying to see what _my _hands can do. You have to wait your turn."

He playfully shooed her hands away from his chest before once again placing them on her hips to remove her pants.

"I want to get a better look at these pink underwear," he added with a smile.

She giggled and Edward kissed her stomach as he slowly started sliding her pants down her legs. Things suddenly turned serious between them as they realized what they were doing. Bella had never been naked in front of anyone and the sudden awareness of having Edward see her in nothing but her bra and underwear made her very nervous. She swallowed audibly as her cheeks tinted pink and she looked up at him nervously. He noticed the sudden change in her demeanor and he smiled sweetly at her.

"Should I stop?" he asked.

She bit her lip and shook her head no.

"Are you sure? Cause we could stop," he replied sincerely.

"No, I don't want to."

"Thank God," he whispered jokingly. She chuckled and he continued to slide her jeans down her legs. Once they pooled at her ankles, she slowly kicked them off and Edward sat above her, admiring her body.

"What?" she asked nervously as he stared at her, not saying a word.

"You're…gorgeous," he breathed.

She smiled shyly as a pink hue covered her from head to toe.

Edward couldn't believe the sight before him. She was absolutely perfect and he was at a complete loss for words. His eyes trailed from her neck down her chest and stomach to her legs and he wanted to touch and feel every inch of her but had no idea where to begin.

After a short pause, his hands slowly began sliding up and down her thighs, kissing her softly on the lips as his hands got accustomed to her body. He touched and caressed her skin, watching his hands as they travelled over her body, listening to and loving the beautiful sounds that escaped her lips.

He never made a single move to touch anywhere intimate. He simply needed to explore her body in the comfort of his piano room. The room had always been a safe haven for him and having her in there with him, practically naked, was more than he could have ever asked for. He could see how comfortable she was beneath him and he wanted to preserve that moment forever. He wanted her to feel that sense of comfort and safety whenever they were together, no matter what they were doing.

They remained together on the couch, simply enjoying the presence of the other, but they were rudely interrupted by the sound of the front door being shut downstairs.

"Edward, we're home!" Esme called from the first floor.

Edward groaned as his head fell forward onto Bella's shoulder. "Damn," he mumbled against her skin.

They both quickly scrambled to their feet as they redressed.

"This is unbelievable. We can never get a second to ourselves," Edward said with a huff.

When they were both presentable, they headed downstairs to join Carlisle and Esme in the kitchen.

"Edward!" Esme greeted with a smile. As he rounded the corner, Esme noticed Bella standing behind him. "And Bella! What a surprise, dear. I didn't know you were here."

The smile was still present on Esme's face and Bella scrunched her eyebrows at her reaction. She'd expected her to be upset that they were both upstairs alone while they were out but Esme simply smiled and gave her a hug hello.

"I thought you were going out today," Esme said as she opened the fridge to deposit some groceries.

"We were going to but then I wanted to play some piano for Bella," Edward answered.

"Oh, isn't he so good!" Esme said with a grin.

"Yeah, he's really amazing," Bella replied as she looked over to Edward.

"His piano teacher always used to say he had perfect fingers for playing. Those fingers were born to be on a piano!"

"Yeah, I've got great fingers," Edward replied, smirking at Bella.

Bella rolled her eyes and he kissed her softly on the cheek when Esme wasn't looking.

* * *

Bella spent the following day with Alice and Rosalie as they profited from boxing week sales. They had left early that morning and were wandering the streets of Port Angeles, shopping around and catching up.

"So, Bella, do you have anything new to share about you and Edward?" Rose asked as they exited one store, heading to another.

"No, not really."

"Really? You haven't…you know…done anything new? Physically?" she asked, fishing for information.

Bella laughed at the question. "Nope. We never seem to have enough alone time. Our parents always get in the way."

"Don't they work?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, but it always seems like there's no right time. We were home alone at Edward's yesterday but they came home right when things were getting…interesting."

Alice and Rosalie laughed and Bella smiled.

"We have alone time but it never seems like enough. We're always nervous about someone coming home and walking in on us," Bella added.

"But they're at work. They're not going to come home in the middle of the afternoon. How hard can it be?" Rosalie asked.

"We've been going out during the day though. By the time we get home we only have like a half hour or so before his parents or my dad get back."

"You should stay in then. You two have spent your entire Christmas holidays going out. Stay home. Entertain each other," Rose said with a wink.

"Rose is right, Bella. You should invite Edward over tomorrow and you should spend the whole day alone together."

"Naked," Rose added with a smirk.

Bella blushed as she contemplated their suggestion. "Yeah, you know what, you guys are right. I'm going to invite him over tomorrow while Charlie is at work. He never comes home in the middle of the day. In fact, I don't think he's even allowed to leave. We'll have the whole day to do whatever we want."

"Yay!" Alice exclaimed. "Oh! And when he rings the doorbell, you should answer it in just your underwear. Guys love that!"

They laughed and continued down the street, enjoying the rest of their day, hanging around, shopping, and appreciating the time off.

That night, Bella decided to spring Alice and Rosalie's suggestion on Edward to see what he thought.

"So…I was wondering something," Bella started.

Edward was lying down across her bed, enjoying the silence and simply relaxing. At the sound of her voice, he looked up at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Do you maybe want to come over tomorrow? My dad will be at work so we can have the house to ourselves for the day. We can relax, you know, take it easy."

She had no idea why, but she was suddenly nervous about asking him to spend time with her. She knew it was ridiculous but she also knew what she was implying and the fear of rejection unnerved her. Edward stared at her for a beat as curiosity clouded his features at the realization of what she was asking him.

"We'd have the whole house to ourselves…all day?" he asked.

"Yeah, pretty much."

She bit her lip and stared at him, as time seemed to slow.

"That… sounds…awesome. I can't wait," he replied with a smile.

* * *

The next morning, Bella felt an overwhelming sense of nerves come over her. Edward had gone home to change so she sat in her kitchen having nothing better to do but to nervously contemplate how the day would go. They'd never had an entire day alone and she knew exactly what they were going to do with their time. Throughout her entire morning routine, she debated how to go about the day. She wondered what she should wear, what she should say when he came over. She knew it was ridiculous for her to be so nervous but nevertheless, she still was.

When she finally heard the doorbell ring, she took a deep breath before heading toward the door.

"Hi," Bella said timidly as she opened the door to find a shy Edward standing on her stoop.

"Hey," he replied.

She moved aside and he stepped into her entrance, slipping off his jacket and hanging it on the coat rack. They stood awkwardly for a moment, neither knowing what to do or say which came as a surprise to both of them. Their conversations had always flowed so easily and suddenly they were both at a loss for words.

"Umm, do you want something to drink?" Bella offered.

"Yeah, sure," Edward agreed, thankful for the distraction.

They made their way toward the kitchen, both of them hating the awkwardness of the silence between them.

"So…umm…I thought we could maybe watch a movie or something."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Edward replied.

Bella grabbed two cokes from the fridge before they made their way to the living room. They chose a film and Edward got settled on the couch as Bella set everything up. As the movie started, they were able to relax and enjoy the film as their minds wandered away from the stress of being home alone together.

Halfway through the movie, Bella's phone beeped from a text message and when she went to answer it, she saw it was from Alice.

_Are you naked yet? _

Bella smiled to herself as she replied.

_No!_

_Why not?_

_We're watching a movie._

_What are you wearing?_

_? Jeans and a sweatshirt. Why?_

_:O Go change! Excuse yourself and go put on some shorts and a tank top._

_No. Go away._

_AND NO BRA!_

_I'm turning my phone off now._

Bella smiled as she shut off her phone, depositing it on the coffee table beside her. She took a quick glance at Edward and he smiled shyly at her when he noticed her looking. She turned back to the TV and they continued to watch the movie in silence.

Although the awkwardness was gone, Bella was still very nervous around him and she didn't know why. She thought back to her conversation with Alice and Rosalie from the previous day and she realized her and Edward were being ridiculous. They finally had the whole house to themselves and suddenly they were shy about being alone? With newfound confidence, she turned to Edward and gave him a sweet smile.

"I'll be back in a second, alright?"

"Alright," he replied before turning back toward the TV.

She got up and headed up to her bedroom in order to do exactly what Alice had recommended. She got out of her jeans and oversized sweatshirt and slipped on a pair of shorts and a tight tank top. She realized she would probably be cold, but she shrugged it off and exited her bedroom, heading back downstairs.

When she got back to the living room, Edward turned to greet her and when her sudden lack of clothing registered, a loud gulp left his throat.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hey," she replied casually, sitting down on the couch and lifting her legs so they were stretched out across his lap.

She could feel Edward's eyes as they trailed her body and she smiled coyly to herself.

"Were you warm?" he asked, still nervous.

"I'm just a little more comfortable now, that's all."

His eyes went from her face, down her neck and chest, all the way past her legs until he reached her feet. He smirked then, his usual playfulness coming back in full swing, and Bella smiled, knowing her plan had worked.

In one quick movement, Edward brought his shirt over his head, reclining back on the couch topless.

"I'm more comfortable now too," he said with a smile.

They both turned back to watching the movie but neither could concentrate on anything other than each other. A short moment later, Bella felt Edward's fingers as they ghosted over the skin of her bare legs. His hands slowly started to run soothingly up her calf and knee then back down again. She watched him as he stared down at the movement of his hands on her legs and she bit her lip, loving the way his hair fell in his eyes. She admired his upper body, also loving the way his muscles moved beneath the surface of his skin.

Since her plan had worked, her confidence had been boosted and she took advantage of the situation. She slowly removed her legs, lifting herself up and straddling herself over his lap.

He laughed at her sudden movement.

"We've wasted enough time," she said with a smile.

He smiled and placed his hand behind her neck, bringing her face forward and connecting his lips with hers. Her hands slowly made their way up his chest where she entwined her fingers in the hair at the back of his neck while his hands slowly made their way down her arms to firmly grip her hips. She slowly moved above him and he controlled the movement with his hands but once she'd found the proper pace, his hands quickly moved up to cup both her breasts. She moaned and pushed into him and he made quick work of removing the thin tank top she had on.

His hands continued their ministrations on her breasts as his mouth travelled the length of her neck, kissing, licking, and sucking whatever piece of skin he came into contact with. When he wanted more control, he flipped her onto her back and positioned himself above her, kissing her hungrily. Remembering the feel of her legs wrapped around his waist, he wrapped his arm around her knee, hitching her leg over his hip and pushing his hardened length against her warmth. She let out another sweet moan at the feel, which fuelled him further. His hands were everywhere as his mouth trailed down her neck and over her breasts where he stopped to tease her bra-clad nipple. Her chest rose up indicating the pleasurable feeling so he continued to lay soft kisses on and around her breasts.

Bella's hands were all over his body as she pulled him closer to her. She pulled at his hair before letting her fingers trail down his back, feeling every muscle as it tensed beneath her fingers. Her entire sense of judgement had completely flown out the window and all she could concentrate on was the beautiful, sweet, half-naked boy that lay above her. She knew how perfect he was and the feel of him above her was driving her crazy. His lips and tongue travelled all over her upper body, sending her into a whirlwind of uncontrollable emotions. Everything felt so amazing but she wanted more and from the feel of his hardened length against her, she knew he wanted more as well.

He'd always been the one to make her feel so good and she wanted to do something to reciprocate. She remembered the feel of his erection against the palm of her hand from before Christmas and she wanted to feel it again. As he continued his work on her upper body, her hands slowly travelled down his chest to the top of his jeans. He made no move to stop her so she continued until her palm passed softly over his length. He groaned against her neck and kissed her skin a little more roughly so she took that as her cue to continue. Her hand passed over his length until she felt comfortable enough to do more. As he pushed his hips against her hand, she knew she wasn't doing anything wrong so she decided to take things a step further.

She slowly unwrapped her legs from around his waist, depositing them on either side of his legs as her hands made their way to his belt buckle. She made slow work of the belt, pulling at it until it fell, unbuckled, against her stomach. Her fingers slowly moved to the button of his jeans then, unbuttoning them and slowly lowering the zipper.

"You'll be even more comfortable if you help me take your pants off," she whispered.

He chuckled. "Oh yeah?"

She smiled. "Yeah."

Edward laughed as he helped her slide his jeans off his legs until he was back on top of her in nothing but his boxers.

"This does feel more comfortable," he said as he kissed her lips softly before slowly letting his tongue drag against hers.

Bella giggled against his lips but her hands remained fixed on his hips. She had gotten him out of his pants and she was now contemplating her next move. She knew she needed to just take the plunge but she was momentarily worried over what to do and how to do it so her hands remained firmly on his hips as she developed the courage she needed to continue.

As Edward's hands travelled slowly down her torso to her thighs, Bella gave herself a moment to simply appreciate his touch. His right hand travelled from her waist, across her hip and down her thigh. On its way back up, he allowed his fingers to slowly wander under the hem of her shorts, tickling the skin of her inner thigh. As his fingers climbed higher, she felt his thumb brush against the hem of her underwear and she took a deep breath when she realized she knew exactly where his hand was headed.

As the nerves shot through her, she was overwhelmed with the feeling of lust, knowing she didn't care how nervous she was, all she wanted was his hands all over her. She felt his fingers as they traced the contour of her underwear and she moaned at the feel of having his hands somewhere they'd never been before. His fingers continued their discovery of new territory as Bella let her right hand slide away from his hip. Her hand slowly moved down his stomach until her fingers played in the hair below his bellybutton. She let them linger for a few seconds before moving further south toward his boxers.

As of yet, Bella had only felt him through his pants so when her hand came into contact with his length, only covered by the thin material of his boxers, she let out a small gasp at the shock.

"What's wrong?" he muttered as he kissed her neck.

Her hand went up and down his length, feeling and touching so much more now that she had proper access.

"It feels so different now. It feels…bigger."

She touched from the base to the tip and she could feel him twitch under her fingers. She suddenly felt the need to remove his boxers in order to admire him fully but was interrupted by his chuckle. She looked up at him and noticed his smirk.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied with the same smirk.

"What is it?" she asked again.

"You called me big," he said before he sent her a full on grin.

She chuckled against his lips as he came down to give her a long searing kiss as both their hands continued exploring. Bella was allowing her fingers to run up and down his length, trying to familiarize herself with it before delving any deeper. She was driving Edward completely crazy but he didn't want to rush her so he merely turned his attention toward her breasts. He kissed the skin of her shoulders before sliding her bra straps down her arms and continuing to kiss down her arms and back up again.

As Bella became more comfortable, she finally decided to take the leap and do what she wanted most. With her utmost concentration, she reached into the front hole of his boxers and wrapped her fingers around his hardened length. Edward let out a small groan as he felt her hand around him, practically praying she wouldn't let go. Bella's hand remained still on his length as she bit her lip and looked up at him.

"I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do here," she said shyly.

Edward groaned as his hands pressed firmly against her breasts. "Do whatever you want," he breathed.

He continued to kiss and suck on the skin of her neck and collarbone as his fingers pinched her bra clad nipples and his teeth nipped along the skin of her breasts. When he finally thought he would explode from frustration, he finally felt her little hand as it slid up and down his length. He let out the strangest of sounds – a combination of a groan and a sigh of relief – and this told Bella she was doing something right. She moved her hand up and down his length – having no idea what she was actually supposed to be doing – simply trying to do what felt right.

She continued her ministrations but she quickly realized she needed guidance.

"Edward," she breathed against his chest. "Show me."

"Hmm?" he asked as he kissed below her ear.

"Show me what you like," she whispered.

"What?" he said as he pulled his face away from her body.

"I want to make you feel good."

"You are, it feels amazing, Bella."

"No. I want to make you feel…really…good," she replied as she stared at him.

"God. You're actually trying to kill me," he groaned against her neck.

"Please."

He looked at her and saw the pleading look in her eyes and her beautiful shy smile.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She bit her lip and nodded her head so he acquiesced. He made a move that told her to remove her hand so she did and Edward immediately felt the loss of her touch. In a slow movement, he lowered his boxers and Bella admired his length as it sprung free. He looked at her then and noticed the blush that adorned her features as she stared, wide-eyed at his penis. As if her hand had a mind of its own, she immediately brought it forward again as she wrapped her fingers around his length.

"Wow," she breathed.

He grinned again and she couldn't even bother to roll her eyes. He slowly brought his hand on top of hers then and gave her a small smile. With his hand firmly gripping hers, he slowly began moving their hands up and down his length, staring at her face to judge her reaction.

Bella was completely captivated by the size of his hand over hers. She was fascinated with the way his wrist was twisting and she quickly noticed how much he was enjoying the experience based on the way his breathing had quickly picked up.

Edward kept his hand over hers, showing her exactly how to move and how much pressure he liked until Bella knew exactly what to do. When he let go, her hand remained firmly in place and she pumped him up and down the way he showed her. He groaned against her mouth as his lips found hers and she smiled in satisfaction.

"Is this okay?" she asked.

"Yes," he moaned.

He briefly worried about finishing too quickly and the only way to avoid doing so was to shift his thoughts elsewhere. His hands quickly needed to keep busy so he let them slide down her body, over her breasts and stomach to the top of her shorts. He made quick work of her button and zipper until his fingers finally settled on her warm core. She moaned at the feel and he began his very own expedition of discovering what made her feel good. He let his fingers drag above her underwear, feeling and touching and enjoying the way her body moved beneath him.

Bella was very much enjoying what he was doing and without even realizing it, her pumps became faster and faster.

"Bella," Edward breathed. "Bella, slow down. I won't last much longer like this."

She slowed her pace as his fingers fondled her, listening closely to the small moans that escaped her lips and the way she breathed as he touched her. As his fingers ghosted over her clit, she let out the tiniest of cries and he knew what she wanted from him. He continued to touch her and she writhed beneath him as he kissed her passionately and desperately.

As her confidence grew, Bella became more adventurous and started trying different things. She did whatever she thought would feel good and based on his grunts she was being successful. As his fingers moved against her she quickly started losing her control and before she knew it her original pace was back in full swing. She pumped him quickly as his fingers massaged her clit, resulting in her writhing and moaning beneath him.

"Bella," he breathed. "I might…you know…finish soon."

She looked up into his eyes and bit her lip as she nodded. He brought his mouth toward hers enveloping her lips with his and she picked up her pace once again, twisting her wrist as her hand came up his length.

"Fuck," he breathed against her lips, which simply fuelled her further.

A few more pumps were all he needed before he groaned into her neck.

"Bella, I'm…I'm coming," he whispered before letting the pleasure take over and coming in spurts against her hand and stomach. His features were twisted in pleasure and Bella loved the fact that she was able to make him feel so good. He let out an appreciative moan as he fell against her, wanting nothing more than to bask in his post-orgasmic bliss for the next few seconds.

As Edward breathed heavily above her, Bella smiled in satisfaction, knowing the day had been a complete success.

"That was fun," Bella whispered.

Edward chuckled against her chest before lifting himself off of her and giving her a soft kiss behind her ear. She giggled as his tongue tickled her neck and he looked into her eyes, a smirk appearing on his face.

"What?" she asked with a smile.

"My turn," he said with a wink before kissing her passionately as his right hand travelled down her chest and into her shorts.

* * *

"Oh my God!" Alice shrieked in excitement. "Then what happened?"

Alice had called Bella the following day and asked her to be as specific as possible in her retelling of her previous day with Edward. Bella had been sceptical at first but she found herself trusting Alice and a part of her was actually excited to relive the experience. She didn't go into as much detail as Alice had hoped, but she gave her a good gist of it.

"Well, afterwards we were both kind of tired so we just relaxed in my living room."

"So like, you both...you know…finished?"

Bella giggled. "Yeah," she muttered shyly.

"On top or below the underwear?"

"I kept mine on but his were off."

"Ah!" Alice shrieked again. "Way to go, Edward! He was able to get you off without even removing your underwear, that's pretty impressive."

"He's amazing at everything so I'm not that surprised."

"You're his girlfriend, you're supposed to think like that."

"Yeah, I guess," Bella replied with a smile.

"Bella, you honestly have no idea how jealous everyone at school would be if they found out."

"Oh God, Alice, you're not going to tell them are you?" she asked, panic lacing her tone.

"No! Gosh, no! Don't worry, Bella, you can fully trust me. Unless of course you want me to tell them. Then I will start the best damn rumour ever!"

"No, no. No rumours. Please keep this between us. Even the thought of Jasper and Emmett knowing is making me nauseous."

"Well, I mean Edward probably told them already. He's a guy. They gloat about that stuff."

"Yeah, I know."

"So what happened after? Did Edward stay for supper?"

"Yeah, he did. Charlie is really starting to warm up to him. They have actual conversations now. It's pretty awesome."

"I'm really glad, Bella. I could tell it was something that was bothering you. Was it awkward though eating dinner with Charlie knowing what you did?" Alice asked with a laugh.

"No, not really. When he went to sit on the couch after supper, then it kind of was."

Alice laughed. "Well, Rosalie will be very proud of you when I tell her. Unless, of course, you don't want me to tell her."

"No, no it's fine, you can let her know."

"Yay! Oh, speaking of. We now have New Years Eve plans! Emmett's parents are going to be out of town so he's throwing a party! It's going to be amazing!"

"Oh, good. We were wondering what we were going to do. Charlie is going to the Black's place and I really didn't want to go there."

"Spending New Years Eve with Jacob is definitely not my idea of fun."

Bella giggled. "Is it going to be a crazy party at Emmett's?"

"Nah, I don't think so. There will be a few people but nothing too extreme."

* * *

New years eve came sooner than expected and before Bella knew it she was in her bedroom getting ready to head out to Emmett's. Her hair was tied up in a lovely up-do courtesy of Alice with her bangs hanging softly above her eyes and she wore a strapless purple dress that fell to her knees. She looked in the mirror and could hardly recognize herself but she loved the way her eyes shined from the mascara and eyeliner Alice had applied.

A short while later, Edward rang her doorbell and they headed to Emmett's. When they got there, the party was already in full swing and Alice had been right when she said it wasn't going to be anything too crazy. There were groups of people in all the rooms – some she recognized, some she didn't – but everything seemed to be under control.

Edward spent the entire night with his hands all over Bella. She didn't know if it was the alcohol he was drinking or the dress she was wearing but she wasn't going to complain. One hand was either resting against her lower back, wrapped around her shoulder, wrapped around her waist, or soothingly stroking her hair.

As it neared midnight, Edward wanted to get Bella alone, away from the fairly large crowd of friends. He knew if they stayed there, the second midnight came he would get one kiss and Bella would be whisked away from him as everyone exchanged their happy new years. He was being selfish but he wanted more alone time with her.

As they danced slowly to a soft melody that played, he kissed the top of her head before asking his question.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked her. "Get some fresh air and some privacy."

"Yeah, that'll be nice."

They exited the dance floor and since neither wanted to tell anyone where they were going, they casually grabbed their coats and headed outside as discreetly as possible.

It was a fairly warm winter night with a light drizzle of snow falling on and around them as they walked hand in hand away from the loud noises coming from each house on the block. As they walked down Emmett's street, neither said a word as they simply enjoyed the peacefulness of the night.

"The snow is so beautiful," Bella said softly, breaking the silence. "If I never moved here I never would have gotten to know what snow feels like, what it really looks like. It's so amazing. I mean I know it's nothing to everyone here but to me it's so…different. So beautiful."

Edward watched her as she spoke with such passion. She could make anything sound perfect and he wondered how someone so pure and so good could have ever been put into the kind of situation they had been thrown into.

As he watched her walk beside him with her face up toward the sky, enjoying every flake of snow that fell around her, he felt a new kind of pull toward her – something unexplainable yet wonderful.

"I think we should make a promise to ourselves," Edward said softly.

Bella turned to look at him, wondering what he meant.

"We need to put this year behind us. After tonight, it's going to be a new year. I want things to be different. Things have been going really well this past month so let's promise to continue like this." He paused for a second as he gathered his thoughts. "We can't force ourselves to forget this summer but we can move on and I think that's what we've been doing. We should start the year fresh. What do you say?"

She smiled up at him. "I think it's a great idea."

"Good," he replied with a smile. "We can even start focusing on the future, you know? We should start thinking about college. Maybe this summer we can move away, see something new. I want this year to be a fresh start so we should start it right away with a positive attitude."

She smiled again and they continued to walk in silence. As Bella continued to admire the beauty of the night, she realized there was something she needed to say.

"Edward, I know it's been a bad year…a horrible year really…but we met this year. We can't regret it, you know? We can't put it completely behind us because even though I hate thinking about what happened last summer, it still brought you into my life. It still brought me here to this town." She paused for a moment as she turned to look at him. "I don't regret that. And I don't ever want to forget it."

He gave her a soft smile before nodding his head. "Yeah, you're right."

After a short pause, she spoke again. "Do you think you and I would have met had we never been…you know?" she asked.

Edward looked at her but was taken back by her question. He considered it for a moment before answering it the only way he knew how. "Definitely," he said with a grin. "I think no matter what happened this summer we would still be right here, right now, holding hands."

"Really?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah for sure."

She looked up at him with pure wonder in her eyes. "How would we have met?"

He considered it for a moment before taking a deep breath and smiling. "Well, let's see," he started. "You would have come down last summer to visit your dad for two weeks. You would have been away from all your friends, visiting the crappy small town your chief of police dad lives in, so you would have hated it and you would have been sulking the whole time. The weather would have been shitty, right? So it would have been even worse. "

Bella listened to every word he said with a huge smile plastered to her face. She was utterly captivated by the story he was telling.

"Then, one day you would have been so unbelievably bored that you would have made the decision to go out. You would have taken your gargantuan truck out to go buy some…toilet paper…"

"Toilet paper?" she repeated with a laugh.

"Yeah, toilet paper," he replied with a smile. "So you would have been on your way to getting toilet paper but you would have gotten lost. It's a small town but when you don't know where you're going it can get confusing."

"Edward, I can practically see the store from my house."

"Well, you would have been distracted. No! Okay, I change my mind. You didn't get lost. Your truck would have broken down! That's much more believable," he said, teasing her. She made a face and he chuckled. "So it would have gave out and you would have had to pull over to the side of the road and you wouldn't have known what to do. You would've been freaking out and of course you wouldn't have had a cell phone so you wouldn't have been able to call your dad. So you would have been sitting in that piece of…"

"Hey!" she interrupted.

"That piece of… wonderful…metal," he said with a smirk.

"That's better."

Edward laughed. "So you would have been sitting in your truck, crying because your vacation just got that much worse when suddenly, you would have looked up and noticed a boy."

Bella smiled to herself, knowing where the story was going.

"You would have stared at him and said to yourself, my goodness, he is the most beautiful creature I've ever seen. That's me, by the way. I'm the beautiful creature." Bella giggled. "I would have been with some friends, just chilling, you know? But then I would have turned and I would have seen you crying. I would have felt really bad so I would have kept watching you. I would have wanted to approach you but, you know, I was afraid your truck was going to turn into a transformer, so I was a little sceptical."

"Edward!"

He laughed before continuing. "Eventually I would have built up enough courage to walk closer until I was right at your window. I would have opened your door, helped you out of your truck, wiped away your tears, and asked you what was wrong. You would have said your truck broke down and I would have said something like, No! Really? That thing? Breaking down! What a shock! And you would have rolled your eyes and tried to walk away from me but I would have run after you. You would have told me to leave you alone cause all you wanted was to buy toilet paper and I would have laughed. You would have been all upset and I would have fallen for you right then and there."

He turned to face her then and they both smiled at each other.

"I would have kept following you around but you would have kept ignoring me. I would have pursued you for the next week until you finally realized you liked me. You would have realized my good looks were just too much to turn down."

Bella chuckled again.

"Then we would have spent the rest of your vacation in pure bliss. We would have gotten to know everything there is to know about each other." Bella smiled and he caressed her cheek. "Then right before you had to leave I would have kissed you. Softly though. Short and sweet. Leaving you wanting more. You wouldn't have been able to take it though so you would have thrown your arms around my neck and kissed me deeply. I would have laughed before wrapping my arms around your waist and we would have kissed until your dad actually pried you away from me. Then you would have left and we would have both been miserable. I would have locked myself in my room, all depressed, remembering the awesome days we spent together. We would have called each other every night and our parents would have complained about the long distance prices." Bella laughed again and he smiled. "Then, two weeks later, you would have shown up at my doorstep with all your bags. I would have been speechless as you told me you were moving here to live with your dad. Then I would have snapped out of it and I would have grabbed you in my arms as I spun you around and kissed you long and hard on the lips."

Bella stared into his eyes, admiring the way they glistened from the flakes of snow that rested against his eyelashes. She smiled a beautiful smile and he caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"That brings us here. Holding hands on New Years Eve."

"That would have been a nice story," she said with a shy smile.

He smiled. "Yeah, it would have."

"You're pretty creative, you know that?"

He smiled. "Why, thank you."

Bella wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. "Thank you for that."

He smiled but didn't say anything in return as he kissed her softly on the forehead. Edward looked down at his watch then.

"Only ten seconds left," he whispered.

"Ten seconds left before putting this year behind us," Bella said.

"And starting fresh."

"And starting fresh," she repeated.

"Five seconds," he whispered. "Four…Three…Two…One…"

As the neighbourhood exploded with cries of excitement, drunken cheers, and popping champagne bottles, Bella and Edward connected in the most loving of kisses, pouring everything they felt for each other into it.

"Happy New Year, Bella," he whispered as they disconnected.

"Happy New Year, Edward."

* * *

**I really hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Once again, I'm so terribly sorry for the long wait!  
Reviews get teasers! **


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